Yadiel Cruz comes up with another huge performance as Reading drops Cheltenham

By Mike Drago Last updated Feb 5, 2024

Reading High's Yadiel Cruz. (Tim Macrina photo)

2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

Yadiel Cruz made a little bit of history Saturday afternoon – and made up for an off night in the process.

The Reading High senior dropped 27 first-half points and finished with a game-high 37 in an 82-61 non-league win over Cheltenham at the Geigle.

The win was the third straight and sixth in seven games for the Red Knights (14-7).

Cruz became only the second player in program history to score 37 or more points twice in the same season, joining Ruben Rodriguez. Cruz scored a career-high 40 points against Harrisburg on Jan. 14.

Rodriguez scored 37 points against Hazleton and 42 points against Chambersburg in the District 3 Tournament last season as a senior. The two-time Berks Player of the Year scored a program-record 50 points as a junior and is the only player in program history to reach 37 points three times.

Cruz was coming off a season-low three points in a 50-44 win over Wilson Thursday at West Lawn. He had just six shots in that game, and his only points came on a three-point play in the opening quarter.

He was on target from the beginning Saturday, scoring 12 points in the opening quarter and 15 in the second. He finished with 15 field goals, just one from 3-point range, and was 6-of-7 from the foul line.

Reading led the Panthers (15-5) by 10 points after one period and 50-29 at the half. The loss snapped Cheltenham’s six-game winning streak.

Daquan Burgess finished with eight points and Jeremiah Camara, Nico Sosa and Xavier Beatty each had seven for the Red Knights.

Cruz leagues the Berks Conference in scoring at 22.4 points per game, nearly three more per game than Daniel Boone’s Brendan Gaines.

The Red Knights have moved up to No. 7 in the District 3 Class 6A power rankings and can clinch the Berks Conference Division I title Tuesday with a win over Muhlenberg at the Geigle. If they hold the No. 7 seed they’ll open the district tournament at home against the No. 10 seed Feb. 20.