Shakyla Mayo-Gov. Mifflin

The Mustangs would not have been playing at Santander Arena on Friday night without the heroics of Shakyla Mayo on Tuesday. Her layup before the buzzer gave Gov. Mifflin a thrilling 41-40 semifinal victory over top-seeded Berks Catholic. Mayo carried that momentum into the BCIAA championship against #3 seed Wilson. The 5’6 junior erupted for nine points in the opening quarter. Mayo finished with a game-high 19 points as the fourth-seeded Mustangs held off the Bulldogs 47-34 for their 14th Berks County title. Gov. Mifflin was on top 14-7 after the first quarter and 25-14 at halftime. Wilson went scoreless for the first seven minutes of the third period. Mayo elaborated on their defensive game plan which was designed to limit the paint touches of 6’2 junior Isis Dojan and force the Bulldogs to shoot from the outside. Dojan was held to three points. She piled up 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 blocks in the semifinals vs. Reading. Wilson trailed 32-18 after the third quarter. The Bulldogs didn’t score for the first three minutes and sixteen seconds of the final quarter. They were down 33-21 when senior guards Amiyah Nguyen and Gia Borelli splashed back-to-back 3-pointers. The last three and a-half minutes became a parade to the foul line for the (17-8) Mustangs. It turned into quite a struggle. Gov. Mifflin attempted 33 free throws in the fourth quarter, but only made 13. Mayo sank two with 44 seconds remaining. Taylor Koenig added two more moments later for a 44-34 advantage. Finally, the Mustangs’ fans could celebrate. Gov. Mifflin ended up 13-35 from the charity stripe, while Wilson was 2-5. Koenig, a promising 5’7 sophomore, provided eleven points including eight in the final period. Elisa Fiore chipped in with eight points. Shyanna Mayo, Shakyla’s older sister, added six. Keira Levengood, a 5’10 senior, led the (17-6) Bulldogs win eleven points. Nguyen and Borelli had eight apiece. Three of Wilson’s four triples came in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs connected six times from beyond the arc. They made five treys in the first half to build a 14-point edge. Shakyla was 3-14 from the free throw line, but she was able to smile about it when she had a gold medal around her neck after the game. Shakyla told me that she’ll be working on free throws all weekend. She puts in countless hours at practice and watching film. Gov. Mifflin has captured three of the last four BCIAA championships. The Bulldogs were looking for their tenth county title and first since 2014. They had won ten of their previous eleven contests. Wilson and Gov. Mifflin split their regular season matchups. The Mustangs finished third in Division 1, but came out on top when it mattered most. Shakyla has high expectations going into the District 3-6A playoffs. #11 seed Gov. Mifflin visits Cumberland Valley on Monday at 7pm. #9 seed Wilson is on the road against Penn Manor. The top seven teams will qualify for the state tournament.