Red Knights pull away down the stretch, knock Bulldogs out of first place (updated with boxscore, photos)
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details and postgame reaction.)
By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor
Nick Chapman scored nine fourth-quarter points and again was a key factor on defense as Reading High beat Wilson 50-44 Thursday night at West Lawn to knock the Bulldogs out of what was a three-way tie in Division I of the Berks Conference.
The gritty senior, a key component on the Red Knights’ PIAA Class 6A championship team last season, hit five fourth-quarter free throws as Reading pulled away down the stretch.
The Bulldogs (6-4, 13-7) were within 38-36 with 5:37 left before the Red Knights (7-3, 13-7) went on an 8-0 run, with Chapman contributing four points from the foul line.
Reading led 32-31 entering the final quarter but won it by holding Wilson without a point for more than four minutes late in the game.
Chapman finished with 11 points and freshman Jeremiah Camara had 16 for Reading.
Junior Luke Levan played a strong game for Wilson with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Madyx Gruber scored 12 points, eight in the final quarter.
Reading finishes Tuesday at home against Muhlenberg in a game that will determine the division champion. The Muhls (7-3, 13-7) won at Daniel Boone 81-62 Thursday.
The loss ended Wilson’s hopes for a division title; it wraps up league play Tuesday at Gov. Mifflin;
The Red Knights moved out to a 12-6 lead late in the first period, getting a 3-pointer from Malik Osuman and a three-point play from Yadiel Cruz. Those were the only points in the game for Cruz, who entered averaging a league-leading 22.6 points per game.
Wilson moved ahead in the second period, with six different players contributing points. A pair of free throws by Correll Akings gave the Bulldogs a 20-16 lead with 2:42 left in the half. They had a chance to extend that going into the half but missed four straight free throws over the final 2:37 and went into intermission leading 20-18.
Wilson took its last lead at 27-26 when Akings scored off a backdoor cut on a pass from Cam Zullinger with 1:52 left in the third quarter. The first of two straight 3-pointers by Daquan Burgess gave Reading the lead for good at 29-27.
Reading won the first meeting, Jan. 4 at the Geigle, when it scored the final eight points for a 54-48 victory. Malik Osumanu blocked each of the Bulldogs’ final three shots.
Reading had won the previous seven meetings in the series. Wilson’s last win came in 2021, when Stevie Mitchell scored 35 points in the Berks Conference championship game.
Over the previous 15 meetings, Reading has eight wins and Wilson six.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Reading High | 12 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 50 |
| Wilson | 8 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 44 |
| Red Knights (13-7) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Cruz | 1-6 | 1-1 | 0-3 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Camara | 6-11 | 4-4 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Chapman | 3-6 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| Rosario | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Osumanu | 3-5 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 10 | 7 |
| Burgess | 2-5 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Sosa | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Beatty | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 18-40 | 11-14 | 3-12 | 5 | 22/27 | 50 |
| Bulldogs (13-7) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Gruber | 5-9 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| T. Hunsicker | 1-3 | 2-2 | 0-1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| McFadden | 2-5 | 3-3 | 0-1 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Akings | 1-12 | 2-4 | 0-4 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Levan | 5-9 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 12 | 11 |
| Zullinger | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Etim | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Twiford | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| C. Hunsicker | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Woods | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Totals | 17-48 | 8-13 | 2-13 | 13 | 27/28 | 44 |
Turnovers: Reading High 13, Wilson 11. Team rebounds: Reading High 3, Wilson 1.
