Alex Tomlinson-Muhlenberg

Alex Tomlinson looked like he just finished a heavyweight boxing match that went the distance. As it turns out, the bright red bruises on his face didn’t occur during the Muhls’ epic battle with defending state champion Reading. No, Tomlinson’s cuts were the result of getting tackled and kicked in the postgame celebration after Muhlenberg stunned the Red Knights 63-61 on Senior Night in Laureldale. The 6’2 senior forward averages 3.5 points per game. He jammed all eight of his points into the fourth quarter against Reading. Tomlinson went 2-2 from the free throw line to give the (17-5, 9-2) Muhls a 60-58 advantage with one minute remaining. Following a layup by Joey Chapman, Tomlinson’s putback put Muhlenberg in front 62-60 with thirty seconds to go. Ruben Rodriguez then missed two foul shots and Chapman went 1-2 from the stripe. Muhls’ senior guard Tashiro Alexis, who hadn’t scored all night, connected on one of his two free throws for a 63-61 lead with six seconds left. Rodriguez couldn’t get off a clean shot and the Red Knights saw their seven-game winning streak come to a halt in front of a packed gym. Tickets had sold out by Monday morning. Tomlinson was overjoyed despite the marks on his face. He said, “I haven’t played in a basketball game like this my whole life!” We talked about playing with Edwin Suarez. The 6’6 senior poured in 21 points to go along with 16 rebounds. Suarez had eight points in the final period. His putback with a minute and a-half left gave Muhlenberg its first lead since it was 2-0. Fellow senior Jarrett Jackson provided two key baskets in the fourth quarter. Tomlinson told me that he has been putting a lot of time in at the weight room. He complimented the coaching staff for constantly pushing him. Tomlinson’s eight points were one shy of his career high. He stressed that head coach Matt Flowers kept emphasizing to maintain their composure. Flowers spent the past twelve seasons as an assistant at Reading. He found himself coaching against his close friend Rick Perez for the first time. The (18-3, 10-1) Red Knights were up ten points in the fourth quarter. Rodriguez, an all-state selection last year as a sophomore, drilled a deep 3-pointer before the buzzer to end the third period. Reading had a 45-38 edge. Rodriguez made it 50-40 early in the fourth with another triple. He finished with 17 points, but was 3-10 from the FT line. The Red Knights were 10-23 overall, while the Muhls went 6-13. Xavier Davis chipped in with eleven points and Myles Grey had nine for Reading. 6’5 senior Daniel Alcantara was held to seven points. The all-state forward picked up two fouls in the first quarter. There were 21 combined fouls and 21 total turnovers in an intense first half. The Red Knights were up 30-27 at the break. Muhlenberg managed only one point for the first four and a-half minutes of the second quarter. Junior point guard “Dan Dan” Mosquera kept the Muhls in it. Ten of his twelve points came in the first half. Tomlinson said that Mosquera has a big heart and is a pesky defender. Tomlinson thanked the student section for its support. He’s feeling very confident heading into the Berks County playoffs. Muhlenberg outscored Reading 25-16 in the final period. The Muhls had already wrapped up the Division 2 title. The Red Knights are the Division 1 champs.