Buzzer-beater sends Reading High to first road victory
2023 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Losses build character. So do last-second wins on the road.
The latter, of course, are a whole lot more fun, especially for a young basketball team searching for an identity, as is Reading High’s.
Senior Daquan Burgess made the Red Knights’ long ride back from Hazleton Monday night a lot more festive after he hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in a 65-62 non-league win.
“We’re a young team,” said first-year head coach Francis Camara. “Any experience and any opportunity for us to fight through adversity, and obviously we prevailed, is beneficial to our growth.”
The Cougars (2-2), who trailed most of the way, tied the game at 62-62 with 24 seconds left on three free throws by senior point guard Luke Gennaro.
Camara called a timeout with 14 seconds left to set up a last shot and wanted to get the ball to leading scorer Yadiel Cruz, who had scored a career-high 25 points. When Cruz was double-teamed on the final sequence Burgess came off a screen and got open in the corner, where he hit the game-winner.
“Yadiel’s a really good passer, and we were ready to make adjustments,” Camara said.
The game-winner was Burgess’ fifth 3-pointer of the game and gave him a career-high 15 points. He scored 15 points and hit two 3-pointers in Reading’s first three games.
“Day-Day got a lot of open shots tonight,” Camara said of Burgess.
The Red Knights (2-2) bounced back from a 61-47 loss to Bonner-Prendergast on Friday.
Burgess and Cruz each hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter as Reading went ahead by as many as 14 points. The Cougars came back with a big second quarter, pulling within 34-31 at the half. Luis Guzman, a 6-4 junior, scored eight of his team-high 16 points in the quarter.
Freshman Jeremiah Camara drew his first start for Reading, and finished with four points.
Cruz finished with three 3-pointers, and the Red Knights hit nine in all. Cruz also finished with six assists.
Cruz is averaging 17.8 points per game.
