Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Star players are expected to step to the forefront in the playoffs. Ruben Rodriguez stole the show on Friday at the Geigle Complex. The 6’2 senior guard erupted for 42 points in a hard-fought 69-58 victory over #8 seed Chambersburg. The (25-1) Red Knights extended their winning streak to 16 and advanced to the District 3-6A semifinals. Rodriguez knew early on that this could be a big night. “Once I hit that second 3, I was feeling really good. My team did a great job finding me. Myles was doing a great job facilitating,” he replied. 5’11 senior Myles Grey dished out seven assists. Rodriguez’s dunk put top-seeded Reading in front 15-12. “It felt great. I heard the gym explode,” he said. The Rider commit poured in 17 points in the opening quarter. The Red Knights led 22-17 after eight minutes. Grey found Rodriguez for a layup before the buzzer to give Reading a 38-35 advantage at halftime. The two-time Berks County Player of the Year had 27 points at the break. The Red Knights started the third quarter with a 7-1 run. Aris Rodriguez provided six points during that stretch. The 6’5 senior guard ended up with ten points. The (14-10) Trojans trailed 52-44 entering the final period. They refused to go away. “They’re some dogs. You could really tell that they don’t give up. They fought the whole way,” acknowledged Ruben Rodriguez. Chambersburg was tied for third place in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. 6’2 freshman Colton Cornwell hit a pair of triples to pull the Trojans within 54-52. Jacob Bassham, who had 17 points in their first round matchup with Carlisle, knocked down a trey from the left wing to cut Reading’s lead to 56-55 with four minutes remaining. Grey responded with a 3-pointer, and then he set up Malik Osumanu for a layup with three minutes to play. Ruben Rodriguez came up with a steal and cruised in for an easy bucket with just over one minute to go. That increased the Red Knights’ edge to 65-56. Aris Rodriguez converted a couple of free throws with 21 seconds on the clock. Reading ended the game on a 13-3 run. Bassham dropped a team-high 19 points. 6’4 senior forward Sedrick Vessah chipped in with ten. 6’5 sophomore J.J. Kelly and Cornwell scored eight points apiece. Chambersburg had a cold shooting night. The Trojans were 7-17 from the foul line and 7-24 from beyond the arc. The Red Knights, on the other hand, went 21-25 from the charity stripe and 4-9 from long range. Rodriguez made 14 of his 20 shots from the field. He was 11-15 from the FT line and 3-5 from downtown. “He’s a bad man,” stated head coach Rick Perez. Rodriguez stands at 1,880 career points. Reading improved to (135-51) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. The Red Knights are searching for their 24th District 3 championship and third in a row. They’ll be back home on Monday against #5 seed Waynesboro at 7pm. “This is the best gym in the state in my opinion. There’s no environment like it,” remarked Rodriguez.