Saints top Tigers, take Class 4A third-place game
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
The anticipated District 3 Tournament matchup between top-seeded Berks Catholic and second-seeded Fleetwood was just as good as expected – even if it ended up being for a bronze medal instead of a gold.
Parker Nein helped the Saints pull away in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his game-high 21 points in a 50-39 victory over the visiting Tigers.
Berks Catholic (22-4) heads the PIAA Tournament Friday March 8 against the District 11 runner-up, either Blue Mountain or Allentown Central Catholic. Those teams meet in the championship game Friday at 8 at Martz Hall.
Fleetwood (20-5) will open tournament play against District 2 champion Scranton Prep on March 8.
Sites for the game will be announced next week by the PIAA.
Mason Senna and Hunter Svoboda hit 3-pointers in the second quarter to help Fleetwood pull within 19-18 of Berks Catholic at the half.
The Saints got five third-quarter points from Josh McKoy to stretch their lead to 31-25 heading into the final quarter. McKoy finished with 11 points.
Nein scored 14 of Berks Catholic’s 19 fourth-quarter points, on six field goals.
The Saints finished the game with nine 3’s: Three each by Nein and Brady Altimar, two by Zach Suski and one from McKoy.
Svoboda scored 14 points and Aiden Soumas 13 for the Tigers, who again had trouble at the free throw line; they made just 2-of-8. They were 6-of-23 from the line in a 62-61 loss to Big Spring in the semifinals.
The Saints and Tigers were hoping to have a championship rematch; last year Berks Catholic beat Fleetwood 73-44 for the title at Giant Center. Neither got there as the Saints lost to sixth-seeded Eastern York 51-44 in the semifinals and the Tigers blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead.
