Late rally not enough to save Muhlenberg’s season

(This story will be updated later tonight with details and postgame reaction.)

CAMP HILL — Muhlenberg’s near-miraculous rally fell just short Tuesday in a 55-54 loss to Cedar Cliff in a District 3 Class 6A opener.

The 12th-seeded Muhls, who trailed by as many as 12 points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth, took the lead on Jarrett Jackon’s 3-pointer with 27 seconds left, the shot capping an 8-0 run.

The fifth-seeded Colts (20-4) regained the lead on Ty Houser’s one-and-one with 5.9 seconds left, after he was fouled by Edwin Suarez, the fifth foul for the Muhls’ center.

Luis Valentine’s long 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, allowing the Colts to escape.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Muhlenberg coach Matt Flowers, whose team had its eye on a Friday quarterfinal at No. 4 Hempfield.

Houser, who finished with a game-high 25 points, and Colts will get that game instead.

The Muhls (18-7) had never faced a team this big before. They have one of the top centers around in Suarez, a two-time Alll-Berks pick, but the 6-6 senior was surrounded by bigger players and battled foul trouble throughout the first half.

Houser, a 6-9 senior, played a patient, smart game and teammed with his brother, 6-10 sophomore Justin, to close off the inside to the Muhls. Suarez finished with 13 points.

Still, the Muhls managed to get back in the game, forcing nine fourth-quarter turnovers with their pressure defense. That allowed them to rally from a 51-43 deficit with three minutes left to take the lead for the first time since the opening minutes.

The Muhls were facing an uphill battle all night. Suarez picked up back-to-back fouls within 30 seconds of each other midway through the second period and went to the bench with 3:03 left, and his tam already down 13-6.

Suarez re-entered to start the second period but picked up his third foul 2 1/2 minutes in and headed back to the bench, the Muhls down 20-10. He played just 7 1/2 minutes of the first half, scoring eight points.

Cedar Cliff’s lead grew to as large as 11, at 31-20, with a minute to go in the first half. The Muhls closed within six before 6-5 Mike Armanini tipped in a miss at the buzzer to make it 33-25.

The Muhls beat the Colts 70-44 last year but only one player who scored for Muhlenberg in that game is back, Eric Branch. Matt Flowers is in his first season as head coach and the Muhls look a lot different than they did at this time last year.

“They still shoot a lot of 3’s, they’re very athletic, but you can tell they’re more engaged defensively this year,” Cedar Cliff coach Tigh Savercool said last week. “There are pieces that are similar, but their style is different.”

Suarez did not play in last year’s game against Cedar Cliff because he was ruled ineligible for the postseason after transferring from Reading High following his sophomore year.