West Reading League Semifinals

Due to excessive heat, the West Reading Summer Basketball League semifinals were moved inside to Wyomissing on Wednesday evening. Exeter (Dulin’s Tire) came out on fire against Berks Catholic (Berks Packing). Exeter was in front 9-2 early and 12-6 after the first quarter. Michael Fisher knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 18-6. Aidan Dauble hit a triple from the right wing to expand the lead to 23-9 midway through the second quarter. Berks Catholic trailed 30-22 at halftime. Dylan Donate drilled a trey with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter to give Exeter a 37-27 advantage. However, Berks Catholic closed that period on a 10-to-4 run. Gavin Welker’s 3-pointer put Snip Esterly’s team on top 42-41 with 6:20 to go. Brady Altimar sank a pair of free throws to make it 48-46 with 3:12 left to play. Kingston McKoy, a two-time All-State pick, finished off two straight spin moves in the lane for a 52-48 cushion. Exeter wouldn’t go away quietly. Dauble, who connected four times from beyond the arc, splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner. After a Berks Catholic turnover, Dauble’s baseline layup put Exeter back in front 53-52 with 41 seconds on the clock. Welker responded with a triple from the left wing with 28 seconds remaining. Exeter had the final possession with a chance to tie or take the lead. Dauble drove down the left side of the lane and took a turnaround jumper with McKoy’s hand in his face. The shot was short and Berks Catholic held on for a hard-fought 55-53 victory. McKoy had a game-high 23 points and Welker added 15. Dauble and Donate led Exeter with 14 points apiece. Braylon Reinert chipped in with eight points. They were outscored by Berks Catholic 33-23 in the second half.

The nightcap in the Ron Krick Memorial League featured rivals Wilson (Apella Wealth) and Gov. Mifflin (Savage Auto Group). This semifinal was much more of a defensive struggle. In fact, Gov. Mifflin was shutout in the opening quarter. Wilson led 4-0 after the first period and 14-10 at halftime. Correll Akings, the lone returning starter for Wilson, started the third quarter with a 3-pointer. He ended up with a game-high 15 points. Gov. Mifflin was down 21-16 entering the last quarter. Ronaldo Gonzalez, a newcomer to Wilson’s program, nailed a 3-pointer with five minutes left to make it 24-18. A three-point play by Akings gave Wilson a little breathing room at 27-18 with 3:48 to go. Gov. Mifflin fell 37-27. Gonzalez contributed eight points and point guard NeChar Mercado added six. Nick Kalis scored a team-high eight points, including seven in the fourth quarter, for Gov. Mifflin. Ian Fleming provided six points. Wilson will take on Berks Catholic for the championship at 5:25pm on Thursday.