Matt Coldren-Wilson

After winning eight straight games, Wilson had lost four of its previous seven contests entering Tuesday’s rivalry matchup at Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs went 14-of-18 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and pulled out a 57-50 victory in Shillington. However, longtime head coach Matt Coldren wasn’t pleased with the performance. “I hate to use the snow days as an excuse, but they were very lethargic. I thought both teams were out of sync…We need a better effort,” acknowledged Coldren. Correll Akings, an All-County pick last year, finished with a game-high 18 points. The 5’9 senior knocked down four of Wilson’s seven 3-pointers. “He’s been through it so hopefully he can talk through this with the younger guys,” said Coldren. Akings is the lone returning starter from a team that went (24-7) a season ago and claimed its second BCIAA championship in a row.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and led 10-6 after the opening quarter. Akings hit a triple from the right wing to extend the margin to 31-18 with a minute left before halftime. Nehemiah McClean provided Wilson with a boost in the second quarter. The 6’2 senior forward drilled a pair of treys and scored eight points. “He’s very athletic, super athletic to be honest with you. He can make shots for us. I just don’t know all the time if his confidence is there,” noted Coldren. The (13-6, 7-3) Bulldogs were on top 31-21 at the break. They connected five times from beyond the arc in the first half.

The (8-10, 2-8) Mustangs didn’t go away quietly. They started the third quarter with an 11-to-2 run. Akings responded with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with two minutes remaining in the period. He was fouled on the shot and missed the free throw, but 6’4 sophomore Gabe Nyembo put home the offensive rebound for a 38-32 edge. Gov. Mifflin trailed 38-34 going into the fourth quarter. The Mustangs have struggled offensively all season, averaging 47 points per night.

Nick Kalis, a 5’11 senior, splashed a triple from the top of the key to tie it at 39-39 with seven minutes to go. Gov. Mifflin went scoreless for the next five minutes. Akings buried another shot from long range to make it 46-39 with 2:33 to play. John Lachina and his brother Mark answered with 3-pointers to pull the Mustangs within 48-45 with 1:26 left. A layup by Lebron Leaf got them even closer at 50-48 with 43 seconds to go. Wilson sealed the deal by scoring seven of the final nine points. Jayden Lockhart, Nechar Mercado, and Akings went 6-for-6 from the stripe down the stretch. Mike Glover split a pair of free throws with 28 seconds left to put the Bulldogs in front 55-50. He missed his second attempt, but Akings grabbed the offensive rebound to give Wilson an extra possession.

The Bulldogs were 20-of-28 from the foul line, while Gov. Mifflin went 12-of-20. Mercado, a sophomore point guard, chipped in with 13 points. “He’s coming along, he’s super tough for us. Defensively, he can be a nuisance with guys bringing the ball up. He’s got a real bright future for us,” remarked Coldren. Mercado jammed eight points into the final quarter and converted all six of his free throws. Peter Kelfala added nine points, all in the first half. Ian Fleming had a team-high 12 points for the Mustangs. He’s the only starter back from a squad that won 20 games last year and reached the state playoffs for the first time in program history. Leaf, the quarterback of the football team, contributed ten points. Mark Lachina came off the bench and hit three of Gov. Mifflin’s six treys. John Lachina and Kalis contributed eight points apiece. The Mustangs committed just six turnovers. They’ve dropped four of their last five games.

Meanwhile, Coldren earned his 445th victory over 25 years at the helm in West Lawn. He knows his team must be more focused with the challenges that lie ahead. “I’m a little disappointed and so are the kids. We have two big games with Reading and Muhlenberg coming up and the effort that we gave tonight is not gonna suffice when we play those two teams,” said Coldren. Wilson hosts the (14-5, 7-2) Red Knights on Friday.