Red Knights hold off Mustangs in OT, improve playoff positioning

Bianca Seabury scored five of her team- and game-high 13 points in overtime as the Reading High held off Gov. Mifflin’s comeback bid Thursday night in a Berks Girls League Division I game at the Geigle.

The Red Knights (6-2, 8-9) jumped out to a 21-6 lead after the first quarter and led by 16 at halftime. Yamilex Rodriguez scored six of her 10 points in the first quarter.

The Mustangs (5-4, 11-7) came out firing in the third quarter as Taylor Koenig hit two 3’s for six of her team-high 13 points. Bridget Martin had six of her 11 points and Keira Estrada five of her 11 in the quarter as the Mustangs cut Reading’s lead to 36-33 heading to the fourth.

Koenig and Estrada each hit two 3’s and Reading’s Zanaiya Bradley had seven of her 11 points in the final quarter as the teams were knotted 45-45 when regulation time expired.

Seabury scored a deuce and went 3-for-4 from the foul line in the extra period to lead the Red Knights to the important victory that had major playoff implications.

Reading won the first meeting 62-42 in December at Shillington.

The Red Knights are now in position to battle Berks Catholic (5-2, 6-8) for the Berks I/II runner-up spot in the BCIAA playoffs. They have league games against the Saints (Jan. 30), Wilson (Feb. 2), Conrad Weiser (Feb. 3), and Muhlenberg (Feb. 5).

The win also strengthens Reading’s District 3 power ranking, which will be needed if the Red Knights don’t clinch the runner-up spot in Berks I. In that sceneario, the Red Knights will be competing with Brandywine Heights for the final playoff spot. Those two had nearly identical power ratings late Thursday, according to unofficial numbers posted on the District 3 website.