Matt Coldren-Wilson

You could understand why people were surprised to see Ofure Odiale open the game by drilling a shot from beyond the arc. Entering Tuesday’s Division 1 matchup at Muhlenberg, Wilson’s 6’5 senior had made one 3-pointer in his career. “He actually is not a bad shooter. He’s kind of a very bashful guy. We’ve been trying to build him up to take shots,” noted head coach Matt Coldren. It turned out to be a good omen as the Bulldogs knocked down five treys in the opening quarter. They raced out to a 23-11 advantage after eight minutes and rolled to a 62-41 victory. Odiale finished with a dozen points. He was one of four Bulldogs in double figures. That put a big smile on Coldren’s face. He replied, “When teams share the ball, it’s so difficult to defend. It’s frustrating for the other team when you’re finding the open guy.” Aidan Melograna connected twice from long distance to give Wilson an early 9-0 edge. Cleveland Harding capped the quarter with a transition layup at the buzzer. Melograna and Harding had 14 points apiece. Sophomore guard Madyx Gruber chipped in with ten. The (8-1, 2-0) Bulldogs were up 14 points in the second quarter, but the Muhls ended the half on a 12-4 run. They trailed 33-27 at the break thanks to a top of the key 3-pointer by “Dan Dan” Mosquera. However, Muhlenberg went scoreless for the first five minutes of the third period. Wilson only allowed five points in that quarter. The Bulldogs have been giving up just 44 a night which is third-best in the Berks Conference. “I’ve known all year that we could guard…It’s a team thing. We have a lot of guys that are working together and talking to each other,” emphasized Coldren. Harding’s three-point play put Wilson in front 45-30 with 1:42 remaining in the third period. Melograna splashed his fourth triple of the game with five minutes left to make it 49-34. The Bulldogs made seven 3-pointers and went 11-of-14 from the free throw line. The (6-4, 1-1) Muhls were 3-10 from the stripe. They were averaging 67 points, but managed just 14 in the second half. Senior guard Luis Valentin had a team-high 13 points off the bench. Mosquera and Xzavion Robertson each provided ten. Robertson, who averages 16 points, didn’t score over the last two quarters. Wilson was riding the momentum of defeating Central York and Hempfield at the Black Knights’ holiday tournament. “Tonight was another playoff game. We’ve had three games in a row with playoff caliber teams,” stated Coldren. The 1990 Wilson graduate and former all-county guard has been a teacher in the Muhlenberg School District for 25 years. “I love the kids here at Muhlenberg. It’s always neat when we come here and all the kids come up to me. It does mean something special,” said Coldren. He’s (380-179) over 22 seasons with the Bulldogs. They’re off to a hot start while all-division guard Cam Jones remains sidelined with an injury from football season. Jones is a two-time, all-state selection on the gridiron. Coldren mentioned that Jones has looked very good at practice over the last few days and probably could’ve played at Muhlenberg. Jones is expected to return next week. Wilson renews its rivalry with Reading on Thursday in West Lawn.