Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
The District 3-4A Championship lived up to the hype. Top-seeded Berks Catholic and second-seeded Bishop McDevitt put on a show for the fans at Garden Spot High School on Friday. They even gave an encore. The (25-2) Saints outlasted the (21-4) Crusaders 58-52 in overtime. “All I can say is these kids have a heart of gold. I’ll tell you what, they won’t let us lose,” remarked head coach Snip Esterly. Colgate commit Kingston McKoy was the star of this intense drama. The 6’4 senior guard poured in 35 points, including 17 after the third quarter. “I’m so spoiled because I get to see him every day at practice. I’m running out of adjectives to speak about Kingston. What a great performance in a championship game,” emphasized Esterly. Berks Catholic earned its seventh District 3 title and second in a row. The Saints are a perfect (7-0) all-time in District 3 Finals.
McKoy, a two-time All-State selection, drilled a pair of 3-pointers and made a layup to put Bishop McDevitt in an early 18-8 hole. The two-time BCIAA Player of the Year squeezed nine points into the opening quarter. Berks Catholic led 18-10 after eight minutes. The Crusaders went on a 9-0 run to pull within 22-21 with 1:21 left in the first half. The action heated up before the break with Kenyon Portee throwing down a breakaway dunk. The 6’2 junior guard entered the night averaging 16 ppg. Portee, a transfer from Trinity, had 20 points in Bishop McDevitt’s 64-46 rout of Big Spring in the semifinals. Brady Altimar answered with a trey from the right wing in the final seconds to even the score at 25-25.
Portee began the third quarter by hitting a triple, the first of the game for the Crusaders. He then found Ethan Hammer for a layup and a 30-25 edge. Hammer, a 6’ senior, finished with a team-high 16 points. Portee and Pat Denisco added ten points apiece. McKoy splashed another 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining in the period to put the Saints on top 34-32. Berks Catholic connected eight times from beyond the arc, while Bishop McDevitt was limited to three shots from long range. The Saints had a slim 37-33 cushion after the third quarter.
Portee started the final period with a three-point play. Denisco, a 5’10 senior, came alive in the fourth quarter. He hit a triple from the right wing and then dished the ball to Hammer for a layup on a 2-on-1 break. Denisco then drained a pull-up jumper to give the Crusaders a 45-44 lead with 2:42 to go. After McKoy dropped off a pass to Johnny Giesa for a bucket, Denisco delivered another 3-pointer from the right wing. Bishop McDevitt was up 48-46 with 1:36 to play, but a layup by McKoy knotted things up. Dom Baker grabbed an offensive rebound and put it home with 46 seconds on the clock. The 6’3 freshman chipped in with nine points off the bench. McKoy drove to the basket and was fouled with 25 seconds left. He went 2-for-2 to tie it at 50-50. Portee’s off-balance scoop shot rimmed out with one second remaining. This instant classic would be decided in overtime.
McKoy started the extra session with a floater in the middle of the lane. He powered his way to the basket and scored again with 1:32 to go. After Portee was called for traveling, Gavin Welker made a pair of free throws for a 56-50 advantage with 56 seconds to play. Baker knocked down two foul shots to get the Crusaders within 56-52. Those would be their only points in overtime. Following two missed free throws by Giesa, Baker was unable to finish a drive down the right side of the lane. McKoy sealed the deal with two more foul shots with 14 seconds left. He ended up 15-of-18 from the stripe. “He should’ve got there 30 times,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic was 18-of-25 from the foul line, while Bishop McDevitt went 9-of-11.
Altimar had eight points, including a couple of 3-pointers. Carmelo Harper helped the cause with seven points and Welker provided five. The Saints are (37-9) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. Esterly picked up his 16th District 3 championship over 37 years. Berks Catholic will head to the state tournament riding a 19-game winning streak. “I think it builds so much confidence in these guys. We never think we’re out of it. There was a time it looked dim when they took a lead, but we came storming back,” said Esterly.