Wilson Basketball Player Laila Jones catches up with SV Sports
There's a real youth movement going on in West Lawn. The Wilson girls basketball team has won six straight games. What's more impressive is that the (15-8) Bulldogs are doing it with three freshmen in the starting lineup. Laila Jones, Violet Houck, and Laura Crocona combined for 43 points in Wilson's 55-44 victory over rival Gov. Mifflin in the Berks League quarterfinals. The third-seeded Bulldogs led 44-28 in the fourth quarter before the sixth-seeded Mustangs went on a 13-0 run. Jones, a 5'6 point guard, explained what she told her teammates during crunch time. "Stop forcing passes and shots, hold your composure," said Jones. Wilson did just that, scoring 11 of the final 14 points to hold off Gov. Mifflin on Saturday night. Jones and Houck, a 5'11 center, had 16 points apiece. Jones handed out eight assists. Crocona chipped in with 11 points. Shakyla Mayo poured in 21 points for the (10-13) Mustangs. The season came to an end for the defending Berks County champions. Jones gave credit to her older brother for her toughness. Cam Jones is a two-time, all-state football player who's committed to Division I Holy Cross. He's also a key figure on Wilson's boys basketball team. Laila is looking forward to playing at Santander Arena on Tuesday. She replied, "I'm really grateful for the opportunity. We're a young team and a lot of people doubted us." The Bulldogs will face second-seeded Wyomissing in the county semifinals. Jones is averaging a team-high 13 points. She's connected 21 times from beyond the arc. Jones spoke with SV Sports' Paul Roberts about her favorite musical artists and teachers.