Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
The annual Geigle Classic was held Saturday at Reading High School. The Muhlenberg versus Central Dauphin East matchup was postponed due to the weather. The other four games came down to the fourth quarter.
York High-64, Hazleton-51
Nasir Barnes scored a game-high 21 points for the (11-5) Bearcats, including eight in the fourth quarter. The junior guard surpassed 1,000 career points last month. Sophomore Yoziah Romero added 15 points. He had nine points in the first quarter as York raced out to a 19-8 lead after eight minutes. The (7-9) Cougars trailed 37-24 at halftime. They pulled within 51-49 when sophomore guard Edison Macko splashed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5:15 remaining. The Bearcats went on a 13-to-2 run to end the game. Hazleton committed seven of its 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter. Kendrick Ortiz, a 6’4 senior, finished with a team-high 16 points, including ten in the third period. Dylan Stish chipped in with 13 points and Oscaudy Vasquez had 10. The Cougars went 8-for-10 from the foul line, while York was 8-of-15. Hazleton connected five times from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Bearcats hit six triples. They’ve won seven of their last eight contests.
Spring-Ford-56, Reading-48
The Rams came out firing and drilled three 3-pointers in the first quarter. They jumped out to a 14-9 advantage, but the Red Knights closed the period on a 7-0 run. They were tied 25-25 at halftime. Syaire Barnes and Matteo Magazollo sank back-to-back treys to put Spring-Ford in front 31-27 with 4:50 left in the third quarter. Jack Kennedy buried another triple from the right corner to extend their cushion to 36-27. Reading scored ten of the next twelve points and got within 38-37 entering the final period. A 3-pointer by sophomore Javon Merriweather gave the (11-5) Red Knights a 42-40 edge with six and a-half minutes to go. The (14-4) Rams responded with a decisive 16-to-4 run. Bryce Robinson, a 6’4 junior, contributed all six of his points on three layups down the stretch. Reading was down 52-46 when sophomore Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones misfired from 3-point range with 25 seconds on the clock. Barnes and Magazollo then made four consecutive free throws to ice it. Spring-Ford went 11-of-12 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were 5-for-5. Blake Turner, a Colgate football recruit, led the Rams with 13 points, including seven in the opening quarter. Magazollo was responsible for three of their seven triples. He finished with 11 points. Barnes and Kennedy had 10 points apiece in a balanced attack. Jostin DeCastro, a 6’3 junior guard, ended up with a game-high 21 points for Reading. Merriweather and Weshly Rosario each scored eight points. The Red Knights had won eight of their previous nine games.
Reading (Girls)-58, West York-49
The Bulldogs’ five-game winning streak came to a halt at the Geigle Complex. The (10-7) Red Knights reeled off the first seven points and led 14-8 after the opening quarter. Senior guard Mekhira Gaskins scored six points in the first half and Reading was on top 27-14 at the break. West York pulled within 33-26 with five and a-half minutes left in the third quarter, but the Red Knights answered with a 9-to-3 run. They had a 48-36 advantage going into the final period. A three-point play by sophomore Xiani Beatty made it 53-40 with 5:13 remaining. Both teams then went scoreless for two minutes. The (9-6) Bulldogs trailed 53-45 after Cam Forsythe’s three-point play with 1:35 on the clock. CJ Henry’s layup closed the gap to 54-49 with 26 seconds left. Nalani Sosa and Yolanda Velez each split a pair of free throws to put Reading in front 56-49 with 23 seconds to go. Following a West York turnover, Velez connected twice from the foul line. Beatty finished with a game-high 16 points. JilliAnn Laws, a 5’11 senior, added eleven points and Velez chipped in with seven. Forsythe had a team-high 13 points for the Bulldogs and Brooke Nalls ended up with eleven. The Red Knights have won four in a row.