Hoops review: 10 most memorable Berks games of the regular season
There was no shortage of highlights, big games and exciting finishes in the Berks Conference in the 2021-22 boys basketball seasons. Here’s a look at the 10 Most Memorable games of the regular season. Tomorrow we’ll count down the Top 10 of the postseason.
As usual, we’ll go in Letterman style: From No. 10 to No. 1 (no skipping ahead to see what’s No. 1!)
No. 10: Exeter 48, Wilson 47
There were a lot of wild comebacks this season; this was one of the biggest. The Eagles were down 21 points in the second quarter before catching fire from the field. They hit 11 3-pointers to fuel the comeback, eight in the second half.
“To be able to win a division game like that, against a rival opponent, against a good team, I think it does wonders for a team’s confidence,” Exeter coach Matt Ashcroft. “Hopefully that spurs us.”
It did. The Eagles went on to make the PIAA Tournament for the first time since 1984.
Colin Payne hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points and Teddy Snyder hit four 3’s and scored 12 points for Exeter.
Defense was a key, too. The Eagles allowed just 14 points in the second half.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak in the series; Exeter hadn’t won since Stevie Mitchell was a freshman at Wilson.
No. 9: Reading High 64, Archbishop Wood 48
The much-anticipated rematch of last year’s PIAA Class 6A championship game turned into a personal showcase for Berks Player of the Year Ruben Rodriguez, who scored a game-high 19 points, hit a couple of buzzer-beaters and came up with several key game-turning defensive plays at the Geigle Classic.
“When I see him doing stuff like that, it used to be a surprise to me,” teammate Myles Grey said. “Now I’ve seen it so much it’s just natural. It’s just something that he does.”
The win capped a wild week which saw the Red Knights beat Vertical Academy, Rodriguez score his 1,000th career point and set a program record with a 50-point game.
Less than two months later Wood flipped the script and ended the Red Knights’ season by the same score, 64-58.
No. 8: Reading High 60, Imhotep Charter 57
Four months after breaking his back in a basketball fall, Daniel Alcantara was the best player on the floor, scoring a game-high 27 points and hitting 11-of-13 shots as the Red Knights came from six down in third quarter to win.
The Panthers had three chances to tie it in the final minute but missed three late 3-point attempts.
Joey Chapman had 16 points for Reading and knocked the ball away just before the buzzer to prevent another Imhotep shot.
The Red Knights are one of just two Pennsylvania teams to beat Imhotep this season; the Panthers are in the state quarterfinals and could end up with their fourth PIAA title in six seasons.
No. 7: Wyomissing 42, Oley Valley 41
Julian O’Brien ended a rough shooting afternoon by hitting the game-winner, a floater with five seconds left that completed a comeback from a 12-point deficit to win a key Berks III-IV crossover at Wyomissing.
“He’s the clutchest player on our team,” said teammate Amory Thompson. “We need a bucket, we’ll go to him.”
The Lynx went up 41-40 on Danny Turchi’s layup with 46 seconds left; he ended up with 22 points. O’Brien finished with 24 points, 19 in the final 13 minutes.
“I was just thinking: ‘We can’t lose this game,’ ” OBrien said.
The win was pivotal in helping the Spartans qualify for the Berks playoffs.
No. 6: Wilson 57, Muhlenberg 56
After starting off 0-3 in league play for the first time in at least 50 years the Bulldogs needed something big to turn their season around. They got it by rallying from a 17-point deficit to top the Muhls in a key Berks I-II crossover at West Lawn.
“We lost a bunch of close games this year,” said Keegan Coldren, who knocked down four 3-pointers, three in the final quarter, and led the Bulldogs with 12 points. “To finally come out on top in a close game . . . it feels amazing.”
The victory was the 362nd for Wilson coach Matt Coldren, tying the program Wilson record set by Reggie Weiss, his former coach. The win came three nights after the Bulldogs blew a 21-point lead in a loss at Exeter.
Muhlenberg got a dominating performance from All-Berks center Edwin Suarez, who had a game-high 27 points and 16 rebounds. He was the only Muhlenberg player to make a field goal in the second half.
The Muhls missed 12 free throws and were 5-of-14 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
No. 5: Gov. Mifflin 54, Wilson 52
Matt Harley’s kiss off the glass with six seconds left completed a comeback from an eight-point deficit and snapped the Mustangs’ nine-game losing streak to the rival Bulldogs
“I was going good,” Harley said of the game-winner. “I know I was gonna make the shot, so I just took the ball.”
The 6-5 forward picked up a screen at the left elbow, curled around it, drove the side of the lane, then scored his 22nd point, 13 coming in the final five minutes.
The Mustangs finished with 10 3-pointers, four by Harley and a key one from Tyler Minick to fuel the comeback. The Bulldogs led 46-38 before Harley went off.
No. 4: Reading High 71, Vertical Academy 66
This was more a show than a basketball game, with the Red Knights taking on national social media sensation Mikey Williams and his touring North Carolina All-Star band before 4,000 fans at Santander Arena.
Fans paid $18 to $22 per ticket and were more than entertained as they saw the Red Knights use defense and old-fashioned teamwork to take down a roster dotted with Division I talent.
“It just shows that five’s more than one, or two,” said Reading’s Ruben Rodriguez, who made all sorts of big plays, including a steal and layup that saw him reach 1,000 career points.
Williams ended up with 18 points but was mostly frustrated by the Red Knights; he had to be separated once when tempers flared and he was assessed a technical foul.
“We didn’t get into the hype or none of that,” said Reading’s Joey Chapman. “All we did was focus on ourselves and what we had to do. We’ll always play our style of basketball, no matter who we play, if they’re from here, if they’re from out there, we’re gonna play the way we play, and we’re gonna have fun, that’s what it’s all about.”
No. 3: Wilson 51, Berks Catholic 48
Cameron Jones scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Bulldogs over the Saints and make Matt Coldren the winningest basketball coach in Wilson history.
Jones buried 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the opening minutes of the final quarter, tilting the game in Wilson’s direction for good.
“When the fourth quarter hit is when I felt it,” said Jones, who finished with a team-high 21 points, 10 in the final quarter. “I was like: ‘I’ve gotta take this over. I’ve gotta give us some cushion.’ “
The Saints got as close as 47-46 when Jack Miller hit both ends of a one-and-one with 37 seconds left.
Ryan Koch kept the Saints in it with six 3’s and 27 points.
The win was the 363rd for Coldren, one more than his high school coach, Reggie Weiss, who was on hand to present him with a commemorative ball during a post-game ceremony.
No. 2: Wilson 60, Methacton 56 (OT)
Aidan Melograna’s intentional miss on a free throw set up the wildest finish of the season as Cameron Jones hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, where the Bulldogs knocked off the then 19-1 Warriors.
Melograna, stepping to the line with his team down four points and 1.6 left in regulation, hit the first throw, then bounced the second off the front of the rim. Foday Sillah grabbed it, found Jones alone on the wing and the Bulldogs were on their way to a miraculous win.
“(Foday) told me before the play that it was coming,” Jones said, “so I expected it, and just knocked it down. I knew by the time the tip would get to me I wasn’t going to have enough time for a dribble, so it was catch-and-shoot.”
Once in overtime it was no contest. The Bulldogs played near-perfect basketball and opened with a 9-2 run to put it the way. The Warriors appeared shell-shocked. They missed four straight free throws in OT, giving them seven straight misses at the line.
“Geez, I can’t believe that actually happened,” Melograna said. “I’ve seen it on TV a million times. It’s never worked.”
No. 1: Muhlenberg 63, Reading High 61
The much-anticipated meeting between former Red Knights assistant Matt Flowers, in his first year as Muhls head coach, and his long-time boss and lifelong friend coach Rick Perez did not disappoint.
The two teams went after each other like it was a state final, with the Muhls rebounding from a 10-point fourth-deficit with a furious rush over the final four minutes. They tied it 56-56 on Edwin Suarez’s follow with 3:16 left and took their first lead of the second half when Suarez put back another miss with 1:37 left.
Not long after the Muhlenberg faithful stormed the court.
“I was so proud of our kids,” said Flowers. “They’ve been working all year. One of our goals was to beat Reading. They’re a a two-time state champ . . . you want to beat them, you want to be up there. Tonight we were the better team.”
Suarez scored eight fourth-quarter points and finished with a game-high 21 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
Muhlenberg was the only Berks team to beat Reading this season.
