Third time’s the charm for Bulldogs
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story will be updated later tonight with a full boxscore, additional details and postgame reaction.)
By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor
Wilson came up with a dramatic defensive stop in the final seconds as Madyx Gruber knocked away an entry pass to preserve a thrilling 54-53 victory in the Berks Conference championship game Friday at Santander Arena.
The fourth-seeded Bulldogs (16-8) had lost twice to the second-seeded Red Knights (17-7) in Berks I play.
Reading had a chance to win when Correll Aikings missed a pair of free throws with 9.9 seconds left but the Bulldogs used a pair of fouls in the ensuing seconds to force three inbounds plays.
On the final one Weshly Rosario threw a bounce pass to Nick Chapman for a backdoor layup but Gruber dove and knocked it away as time expired.
The championship was Wilson’s 11th overall and first since 2021. Many of them have been close. The Bulldogs beat the Red Knights 55-53 two years ago in the title game, and beat Berks Catholic 43-41 in 2014. This was the first one-point decision in a Berks title game since Wilson edged Reading 33-32 in 1993.
The Bulldogs own 42 wins against Reading, more than anyone else. They’ve met the Red Knights six times in the Berks championship game and lead 4-2, with wins in 1993 and 1994 and in 2021.
Wilson took the lead for good on Gruber’s baseline drive with 2:26 left to make it 52-51. Luke Levan added a pair of free throws with 37 seconds left.
Gruber, Levan and Tom McFadden each scored 12 points for Wilson.
Yadiel Cruz of Reading led all scorers with 21 points but he didn’t score in the final after picking up his fourth foul with 7:47 remaining.
The first half was tightly contested, with Wilson building an early four-point lead at 12-8 before Reading came back to move ahead by four at 24-20 and 30-26. The Bulldogs closed within 32-31 at the half as Luke Levan scored on a putback with one second left.
Levan finished the first half with eight points and eight rebounds. Cruz led Reading with 13 first-half points.
Wilson advanced to the championship game with a pair of decisive wins: 75-51 over Exeter and 59-46 over top-seeded Berks Catholic Wednesday in the semifinals at Santander Arena.
Reading advanced to the title game with a 78-40 opening-round win over Schuylkill Valley and a 69-47 win over Muhlenberg in the semis.
Reading High won the championship last season, storming back from a double-digit deficit to beat Exeter 70-63. Reading beat Berks Catholic 55-53 for the 2021 championship.
Wilson won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2020, beating Gov. Mifflin and Reading High, respectively. Wilson has won 10 Berks titles; only Reading and Kutztown (17) have more.
The Red Knights, after some early growing pains that saw them sitting with a 7-6 record after an 18-point loss at Coatesville in mid-January, emerged as the team to beat with a late-season rush. They claimed eight of their final nine regular season games to grab the No. 2 seed.
Lately it’s been one-sided: The Red Knights have taken eight straight since Wilson’s Stevie Mitchell left for Marquette. They won the game before that, too, ending Mitchell’s high school career with a stinging Covid-year District 3 Class 6A championship victory that prevented the Bulldogs from chasing a state title they had a legit shot to win.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Wilson | 15 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 54 |
| Reading High | 16 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 53 |
| Bulldogs (17-8) | FG | FT | 3s | A | R | Points |
| Gruber | 5-11 | 2-4 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| T. Hunsicker | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| McFadden | 4-11 | 2-2 | 2-6 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Akings | 2-11 | 4-9 | 1-2 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| Levan | 5-9 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 12 | 12 |
| Zullinger | 1-3 | 2-4 | 0-1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Etim | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C. Hunsicker | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 19-49 | 12-21 | 4-13 | 9 | 28/32 | 54 |
| Red Knights (17-8) | FG | FT | 3s | A | R | Points |
| Cruz | 9-15 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 8 | 21 |
| Camara | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Chapman | 4-6 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| Rosario | 3-6 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| Osumanu | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Burgess | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Beatty | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sosa | 1-3 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Totals | 22-43 | 7-12 | 2-9 | 9 | 21/26 | 53 |
Turnovers: Wilson 15, Reading High 17.Team rebounds: Wilson 4, Reading High 5.
