Reading High turned back by Red Lion, will head to state tourney as fourth seed
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Reading High’s fourth-quarter rally at the Geigle fell short Thursday, sending the sixth-seeded Red Knights to a 55-53 loss to eighth-seeded Red Lion in a District 3 Class 6A third-place game.
The Red Knights (19-10) will go into the PIAA Tournament with consecutive losses and their lowest seeding in more than a decade, since finishing sixth in the tournament in 2013.
Reading will open play in the state tournament Saturday, March 9 against the fourth-place finisher in the District 1 Tournament, either West Chester Henderson or Chester, who meet in the third-place game Friday at West Chester at 7.
Joe Sedora, a 6-6 senior, scored 11 first-quarter points for the Lions (18-8), helping them to a 24-19 lead. The Red Knights spent the rest of the night chasing. They entered the final quarter down eight, then outscored the Lions 12-6.
Reading senior Yadiel Cruz, the league’s leading scorer, was held to four second-half points and 14 overall. It was the lowest scoring output of the postseason for the Berks Player of the Year; he averaged 22.5 through Reading’s first six playoff games.
Freshman Jeremiah Camara scored 13 points for Reading, All-Berks guard Nick Chapman had 10 and senior Nico Sosa had 10 off the bench.
The Red Knights won the championship in each of the last three seasons and reached the championship game six straight times before this year.
They have qualified for the PIAA Tournament 10 straight years, with championships last year, in 2021 and 2017, all under former coach Rick Perez.
Reading’s 10 losses are its most since 2013-14, when it finished 18-10 and missed the state tournament.
Red Lion pulled off a quarterfinal upset to earn a trip to the state tournament, knocking off top-seeded Central York on its home court 66-65. The Lions were bumped in the semifinals by fourth-seeded Chambersburg.
Red Lion won three playoff games on the road.
The Red Knights opened the district tournament with a 70-55 win over Penn Manor at the Geigle, then won 68-62 at Carlisle. They were turned back in the semifinals at Cumberland Valley 66-47.
This is the first time Reading has lost back-to-back games this season.
