Reading High can’t finish, sees bid for fourth straight District 3 title end
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Mick Reinhard — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP — Down seven points after three quarters, Reading High needed a spark coming out of the break in order to make it to a seventh consecutive District 3 Class 6A final.
A 3-pointer from Daquan Burgess and four free throws from Yadiel Cruz did just that, cutting the deficit to one point with 6:42 remaining.
After that, in what became their most crucial stretch of the season, the Red Knights failed to execute as they turned the ball over, allowed multiple offensive rebounds that turned into points and went cold on offense for nearly five minutes.
Second-seeded Cumberland Valley took advantage, going on a 13-point run that paved the way to a 66-47 semifinal victory in front of a partisan crowd at the Eagle Dome Tuesday.
“If we did a better job on the glass, it would have been a tighter game,” Reading head coach Francis Camara said. “Our guys are fighters, and we just didn’t execute, and they took advantage. They’re a tough, well-disciplined team. We didn’t finish strong like we have been lately.”
Cruz led all scorers with 28 points; the Red Knights got just 19 points from the rest of the team.
Reading (17-8) will face Red Lion Thursday at the Geigle in the third-place seeding game. The Red Knights open defense of their state title Saturday, March 9, against an opponent to be determined.
The sixth-seeded Red Knights started hot Tuesday, riding the inside presence of Malik Osumanu and nine first-quarter points from Cruz, the Berks scoring leader.
Osumanu registered three blocks in the first minute-and-a-half, causing Cumberland Valley to alter shots and change its game plan and helping the Red Knights to a six-point lead. Two free throws and a basket from the Eagles before the horn gave them a badly needed boost.
A 20-point second-quarter outburst from Cumberland Valley cushioned its first lead after a Creston Austin putback at 4:20. Less than a minute later Nolan Buzalka splashed a 3-pointer to post a six-point advantage that the Eagles carried into halftime.
“We can’t simulate their athleticism and physicality in practice,” Cumberland Valley head coach David Vespignani said of the Red Knights. “It took our guys those first few minutes of the game to adjust to the speed and (to know) that every time we took it to the rim Osumanu was going to be there to throw it back in our face.
“Once our kids adjusted, we ran what we run. We weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. When those shots opened up, kids put the ball in the basket.”
The Red Knights came out after the break in a three-quarter court trap, confusing the Eagles and forcing a couple of turnovers that helped Reading tie the game at 33-33.
Despite Cruz’s best efforts to single-handedly carry Reading to another championship game the Eagles displayed a balanced attack to regain their edge heading into the final period.
“They went on some runs, but we kept our heads up,” said Cumberland Valley’s JJ Lebo, who scored a game-high 18 points. “Every time they made a push, we made a bigger one. That’s how we were able to put it away in the end.”
The Eagles had balanced scoring, with Buzalka scoring 17 and Crestin Austin 11. They went 8-for-14 from the foul line in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
Cumberland Valley advances to its fourth district final to face Chambersburg, a 45-36 victor over Red Lion, on Friday at 8 p.m. at Giant Center. The Eagles are looking for their first district title.
Reading was bidding to become the first team to win ever to win four straight District 3 championships in the largest classification. It won the Class 6A title in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
“They beat us to the loose balls,” Camara said. “Rebounding is effort. So that means that they just got there before us. They wanted it a little bit more. Sooner or later they add up when you give up too many offensive rebounds.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Reading High | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 47 |
| Cumberland Valley | 11 | 20 | 13 | 22 | 66 |
| Red Knights | FG | FT | 3s | Points |
| Cruz | 11 | 4-5 | 2 | 28 |
| Camara | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chapman | 3 | 1-2 | 1 | 8 |
| Rosario | 2 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 |
| Osumanu | 2 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 |
| Burgess | 1 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 |
| Sosa | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| Beatty | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 19 | 5-7 | 4 | 47 |
| Eagles | FG | FT | 3s | Points |
| Lebo | 5 | 6-7 | 2 | 18 |
| Snyder | 4 | 1-4 | 0 | 9 |
| Diehl | 2 | 1-4 | 1 | 6 |
| Buzalka | 4 | 8-9 | 1 | 17 |
| Austin | 5 | 1-2 | 0 | 11 |
| Dolimpio | 2 | 1-2 | 0 | 5 |
| Somerville | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 22 | 18-28 | 4 | 66 |
