Wilson defeated Reading High 54-44 at West Lawn on Thursday night in a Berks County Division 1 matchup.
The Bulldogs (4–0, 7–1) held the lead for the entire 32-minute game despite being without their defensive leader, Kailani Hardy, who has been averaging 12.7 points per game.
“She’s got such a huge impact on the game, and in a lot of ways that don’t even show up on the stat sheet,” Bulldogs coach Matt Raquet said. “We ask her to guard the other team’s best player. She talks, she rebounds, she can obviously score and do all those things that do show up in the stat sheet, but her presence is missed.”
But others stepped up in her absence due to injury, led by Violet Houck, who recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Wilson’s Violet Houck battles for two of her 13 points against Reading High in a 54-44 Bulldog victory over the Red Knights on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at West Lawn. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
“She is a big impact when we have her here,” Houck said of missing Hardy. “So going in, we knew that other people would have to step up, and it was definitely a little bit of a slow start to find our pace, but then we definitely found it.”
Reading (2–1, 5–3) got within striking distance, at least three points, multiple times throughout the game. The closest came late in the second quarter, when the deficit was 18–17, but each time Wilson responded with a run to pull away.
Laura Crocona ended a 5–0 Reading run by converting an and-one opportunity, followed by a basket from Ryan Leeman to close the half, giving Wilson a 24–17 lead at halftime.
Whenever the two squads meet, it’s a guaranteed battle, scrappy until the very end, with each team looking to dominate its Division 1 rival. This time, the Bulldogs got the best of the defending Berks County champions, forcing double-digit turnovers.
“The key was the stuff we talk about every day, our standards of staying together, being a good teammate, and competing,” Raquet said. “One of our keys to the game was just staying composed. We knew it was going to be a hectic, full court, full speed, They were throwing a lot of different defenses at you. That’s a great defensive team that throw a lot of defensive pressure on you, so you’re going to have the turnovers. It’s just moving on to the next play, and staying together.”
Wilson’s Laura Crocona gets two of her 10 points against Reading High in a 54-44 Bulldog victory over the Red Knights on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at West Lawn. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
In the third quarter, Nalani Sosa and Jillian Laws hit back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by a layup from Xiani Beatty, to cut the deficit to 32–29 with plenty of time left.
But once the Red Knights had the lead in sight, the Bulldogs quickly closed the door.
Laila Jones, who finished with a game-high 14 points, swung the momentum back in Wilson’s favor almost single-handedly.
She assisted Houck on a layup, then came up with a steal on the defensive end. Dribbling up the court 1-on-1, she stepped back from the 3-point line and knocked down a clutch deep shot.
The senior added one more basket before diving out of bounds to save a loose ball, which turned into another Houck basket on the opposite end.
The 9–0 run gave the Bulldogs a 41–29 lead.
“Every time we play Reading, it’s always a pretty scrappy game,” Houck said. “We knew that we had to go in focus, play our game, and we’d come out fine. We have to keep doing what we’re doing. Stay focused as a team and just keep showing up.”
The Bulldogs maintained at least a nine-point lead for the remainder of the game, as Reading was unable to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter.
For Wilson, Ryan Leeman scored 12 points, while Laura Crocona added 10.
Reading High’s Xiani Beatty goes for two of her 11 points against Wilson in a 54-44 Bulldog victory over the Red Knights on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at West Lawn. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
For Reading, Jillian Laws had 13 points and five rebounds, and Xiani Beatty finished with 11 points and six boards.
The Bulldogs’ next game is Saturday at home against Cedar Crest, and they will once again be without Hardy.
“We’re just focusing on the things we do every day, our daily standards,” Raquet said, explaining how the Bulldogs need to maintain their hot start. “Our goal every day is to get better, to work, and keep improving. We’re really focused on the process and continuing to get better. It’s a long season, with a lot of tough opponents coming up, so we have to take it one day, one game at a time. I know that’s coach talk, but that’s really what we have to do.”
As for Reading, they’ll have the weekend off before returning to action Monday, when they travel to York Suburban.