Jones returned this season and wasn’t going to let another chance at a goal medal slip away at Santander Arena. After trailing by 16 points at halftime, third-seeded Exeter had pulled within 46-42 of the top-seeded Bulldogs with 2:22 left. Jones knocked down two key foul shots with 1:36 remaining and then came up with a pivotal steal. The Eagles fouled Laura Crocona who split a pair of free throws. She missed her second attempt, but 6’ senior forward Violet Houck grabbed the rebound. Exeter was forced to foul again with just 53 seconds to go. Houck went 2-for-2 from the stripe to give Wilson a 51-42 cushion. The (23-2) Bulldogs survived a scare and defeated the Eagles 54-44 on Friday night. “It feels like a very special moment. We waited four years to do this,” said Jones. The two-time All-County selection finished with a team-high 14 points as Wilson earned its first league title since 2014. Jones provided six points in the fourth quarter and was 4-for-4 from the foul line down the stretch. “It feels great that I was able to play and be able to even step my two feet on this floor. You can’t take anything for granted,” she emphasized.

The Bulldogs blew out the Eagles 67-36 on January 22nd. Jones poured in 21 points during that regular season rout. Wilson led 21-13 after the opening quarter and 32-16 at halftime on Friday. Exeter went scoreless for six minutes in the second quarter. It looked like the Bulldogs may cruise to the county championship, however, the (15-10) Eagles weren’t going down without a fight. They outscored the Bulldogs 17-10 in the third quarter. Addison Harper jammed seven points into those eight minutes. The 5’9 sophomore guard ended up with a game-high 17 points. In the final seconds of the third period, Harper was fouled while attempting a desperation shot just past half-court. She converted all three free throws to make it 42-33.

Harper hit a triple from the right wing with 5:33 on the clock to pull the girls from Reiffton within 42-36. After a layup by Lillie Keperling, Wilson committed a turnover in the backcourt. Harper nailed a jumper from the left wing and all of a sudden Exeter’s deficit was cut to 46-42 with two and a-half minutes left. That’s as close as the Eagles would get thanks to some clutch plays by Jones, Houck, and Crocona. All three seniors have been starting in West Lawn since they were freshman. Jones is committed to Penn State Harrisburg and Crocona is going to Kutztown. Houck will be headed south to Jacksonville University for track and field.

Exeter reached the BCIAA Final for the first time since 1977. The Eagles made tremendous strides following a (7-15) campaign in 2024-25. Chloe Dauble and Mairead Dolan chipped in with eight points apiece. Wilson utilized a 1-2-2 trap to force 22 turnovers. Exeter went 12-of-13 from the foul line, while the Bulldogs were 17-of-25. Kailani Hardy, a promising 5’10 junior guard, had eleven points. Crocona contributed nine points and Houck had eight. Matt Raquet improved his record to (43-12) in his second year as head coach. Wilson claimed its tenth Berks County crown.

Only five girls basketball teams from the county qualified for the District 3 playoffs. Exeter visits fifth-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg in the first round of the Class 5A tournament on Tuesday. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs host #13 Penn Manor in the Class 6A bracket on Monday. Both of those matchups begin at 7pm. “It feels great to win this game, but a lot of things to work on,” acknowledged Jones.

Neither team scored for nearly three minutes to begin the game. Exeter had a 8-7 edge after the first quarter. The Mustangs went scoreless for the first three minutes of the second quarter and fell behind 13-7. Brooklyn George and Bella Super hit back-to-back triples to even the score. However, the third-seeded Eagles ended the half on a 9-to-3 run. Addison Harper came alive with seven points in the second period. The 5’9 sophomore erupted for 20 points in a 47-36 quarterfinal victory over Twin Valley. Gov. Mifflin trailed 22-16 at halftime. The Mustangs only made five shots in the first half and four of them were from beyond the arc. Their 3-point shooting dried up over the final 16 minutes. They connected just once from long range in the second half.

A layup and a trey by Lillie Keperling put Exeter in front 31-23 with 3:20 left in the third quarter. The 5’7 senior forward made another layup for a 35-28 lead with seven minutes remaining. Mairead Dolan drained a jumper from the right wing which put Gov. Mifflin in a 39-30 hole with 5:36 to go. A bucket by Keperling gave the Eagles a 43-37 cushion with two minutes on the clock. Bridget Martin responded with a 3-pointer from beyond the NBA line. That shot pulled the Mustangs within 43-40 with 1:07 to play. They wouldn’t score again. Harper converted three of her four free throw attempts down the stretch as Gov. Mifflin’s five-game winning streak came to a halt.

Keperling, who averages 9 ppg., finished with a game-high 15 points. Considering the circumstances, it was one of the best performances of her career. “She’s had quite a few good ones, but it has to be in the top 5 for sure,” remarked Wolfe. Harper provided 14 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Dolan and sophomore Chloe Dauble chipped in with six points apiece. Exeter was 3-of-5 from the foul line. The Eagles swished a trio of triples. Super and George led the Mustangs with eleven points apiece. Super was a third team All-State pick a season ago. The 5’7 junior reached 1,000 career points on January 6th. Martin had nine points for Gov. Mifflin. Longtime coach Mike Clark has four juniors and a sophomore in his lineup. Super, George, and Martin are all three-year starters.

Exeter now awaits top-seeded Wilson. The Bulldogs have won 14 consecutive games. They blew out the Eagles 67-36 on January 22nd. The BCIAA Championship is set for 6pm on Friday at Santander Arena.

The (9-4, 4-1) Eagles jumped out to a 8-2 advantage. Berks Catholic went on a 6-0 run to tie things up, but Chayse Flood banked in a shot from the foul line to end the opening quarter. Liv Welker drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a minute left in the first half to pull the Saints within 20-19. They trailed 22-19 at halftime. Welker, a 5’10 senior, ended up with a game-high 18 points. She jammed eleven points into the third quarter. Her triple from the left corner put Berks Catholic in front 26-24 with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter. However, Exeter responded with a 8-1 run over the next two and a-half minutes. The Eagles made a living at the foul line in the third period. They connected on 11 of their 13 free throw attempts in that quarter. Harper went 7-for-8 from the stripe and Lillie Keperling was 4-for-4. The Saints made ten trips to the foul line in the third period and only missed once. Welker was a perfect 6-of-6 in that quarter. Exeter had a 39-35 cushion entering the final eight minutes.

Harper started the fourth quarter with a layup and an assist to sophomore Chloe Dauble. Her brother, Aidan, is averaging 13 ppg. for the Eagles’ boys basketball team. A putback by Janaiyah Ford got Berks Catholic within 43-39 with 3:14 on the clock. The (4-9, 1-4) Saints wouldn’t score again. “I feel like knowing their cuts and screens really helped us play defense better,” noted Harper. Alexa Turman finished a fast break for Exeter to make it 45-39. There was a scary scene with 58 seconds left. Berks Catholic sophomore point guard Abby Cannon was hustling back on defense when she crashed into the padded wall and hit her head. Cannon was down for a few minutes before being helped off the court. She was averaging 10 ppg. going into the matchup with the Eagles, but was held scoreless. Ford, a 5’9 sophomore forward, chipped in with seven points for the Saints. Freshman guard Jaylianni Ortiz added six points for longtime coach Bob Birmingham. He has a Berks County Girls League record 665 career wins over 37 years. The Saints are starting three sophomores this season and Ortiz gets significant minutes off the bench.

Flood, who’s committed to Elizabethtown for soccer, contributed ten points for Exeter. “She’s very valuable because sometimes we need another scorer,” said Harper. Keperling helped the Eagles’ cause with six points. They were 13-of-17 overall from the foul line, while Berks Catholic went 12-for-20. The Saints, who dropped their third game in a row, made three 3-pointers. Exeter didn’t hit any shots from beyond the arc. There were 53 combined turnovers, including 27 by the Eagles.