Daniel Alcantara-Reading

It was Senior Night at the Geigle Complex and Daniel Alcantara wanted to put on a show. That’s exactly what the all-state forward did in the second half of Reading’s 89-55 rout of Wilson. Alcantara finished with a career-high 30 points. He knocked down five 3-pointers, including three from the left wing in the fourth quarter. The 6’5 senior is up to 989 career points. He’ll get a chance to reach 1,000 on Monday in the Berks County quarterfinals. The (19-3, 11-1) Red Knights will be back on their home court as the #1 seed. Alcantara was limited to seven points in Tuesday’s 63-61 loss at Muhlenberg. He felt it was important for the team to bounce back. Freshman Madyx Gruber came off the Bulldogs’ bench and hit back-to-back treys from the left corner to tie it at 25 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter. Reading answered with a 19-4 run and a 44-29 advantage at the break. Alcantara splashed a triple from NBA range with two and a-half minutes left in the third period. That shot from downtown made it 60-37. It was 67-46 entering the fourth quarter. Ruben Rodriguez opened the final period with a 3-pointer. The all-state guard dropped 26 points on the (14-7, 7-5) Bulldogs. Rodriguez jammed 19 points into the first half. He connected from beyond the arc before the buzzer at the end of the second quarter. Joey Chapman came alive in the third quarter with nine of his fifteen points. The Red Knights forced 21 turnovers and went 18-22 from the free throw line. They were 10-23 from the stripe against Muhlenberg. Alcantara told me he dreamed of playing at the Geigle as a kid. He said that this senior class is a fun group on and off the court. He’s going to miss them a lot. Alcantara is in no rush to make his college decision. The versatile scorer said he has one Division I offer and four Division II offers. Alcantara is working on his dribbling skills and quickness for the next level. As for now, he’s having a blast playing with his teammates. I asked him what he would say to people who are doubting the Red Knights after their loss at Muhlenberg. Alcantara, who had a big smile on his face, replied “Good luck.” Wilson is also headed to the county and District 3-6A playoffs. 6’4 senior Foday Sillah had a team-high 17 points. Cam Jones chipped in with 14. The Bulldogs ended up in third place in Division 1 behind Reading and Berks Catholic.