Muhlenberg makes strong run at Cedar Beach basketball championship

No one should’ve been all that surprised to see Muhlenberg advance to the championship game of the Cedar Beach Basketball Showcase Sunday evening. After all, the Muhls are unbeaten after eight games in the Lehigh Valley Summer League, facing many of the same teams they were up against this weekend.

Then again, considering they graduated two-time All-Berks center Edwin Suarez and that they’re now without a legitimate big, it was a bit unexpected to see them cruise through their first five games, reaching the title game as the only unbeaten in the 30-team tournament.

They did it with a lot of grit and determination, especially on the defensive end where they forced turnovers in the final minutes to mount big comebacks against Allentown Central Catholic and Freedom.

“That’s all he wants,” said rising senior Luis Valentin of Muhls coach Matt Flowers, “defensive pressure. That’s it.”

The Muhls were strong again on the defensive end in the championship game but Central Catholic used its length to pull ahead in the second half for a 34-29 victory.

The Muhls went home 5-1 and with a second-place trophy, an impressive showing, no doubt, but that wasn’t enough for Valentin.

“(We expected) to win a championship; we came up short,” he said. “This loss is going to push us harder. We don’t like losing; we hate losing. That’s not who we are. We want to win everything.”

Just making it to the final rounds was a challenge. The temperature was in the upper 80’s and it felt hotter on the outside courts with the sun blazing down throughout.

Allentown Central Catholic had to play five games Sunday after getting bounced by the Muhls in their 10 a.m. opener. The Vikings rebounded by knocking off Reading High, Wilson and Freedom, then came back less than 30 minutes after beating Freedom to take on the Muhls again.

The tournament was a true battle of attrition but both finalists were deep enough and tough enough to make it to the finish line.

The Muhls got outstanding play from Valentin — who was named to the all-tournament team — Dan-Dan Mosquera, Xzavion Robertson and Eric Branch — all rising seniors — and newcomer Julian Zabala, a rising junior who transferred from Reading High.

Zabalon hit three 3-pointers to help the Muhls to a 20-13 lead late in the first half.

Earlier in the day they got a 42-40 win over Central Catholic, as Josh Alcantara put back a miss in the final minute, and a 52-49 win over Freedom, with Valentin scoring 18 points.

“We were down to Wilson (Saturday in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals), we were down to Allentown Central Catholic, we were down to Freedom,” Flowers said, “and our kids just showed great resilience. You’re watching a group of kids that have been together since second grade.

“When you’re together that long, the chemistry and understanding of what has to get done is getting done — and they’re having tons of fun doing it.”

Wilson made a strong run, winning five games, including victories Sunday over Berks Catholic, Emmaus and Central York. The Bulldogs showed nice balance, passed the ball well and defended well, as usual. They got consistently strong performances from rising senior Aidan Melograna and impressive outside shooting from Madyx Gruber, who’s coming off a strong freshman season.

Reading High’s top players were at Philly Live! Saturday, leading to a second-round loss and a longer path through the playback round. The Red Knights, with their ‘A’ lineup back on the court, beat Phillipsburg Sunday morning and looked strong against Central Dauphin before losing to Central Catholic 38-34.

Oley Valley, despite playing with just seven, and finally six players, reached the Small School championship game before falling to Holy Cross 60-44.

Flowers, preparing for his second season at Muhlenberg, is pleased with the progress his team has made as it reloads following a Berks II championship last season. The Muhls reached the league semifinals of the West Chester Summer League last week and made a strong showing at Cedar Beach.

“Summertime’s about building,” he said. “Right now they’re doing a great job of building for what the winter can look like.

“For me, it’s not about the winning part, it’s about building the culture that you want to represent come the winter time. We’re outside, (it’s) summertime, I get it, but these kids need to understand that you are gold medal status, so if they do what they’re supposed to do, this is big for them.”