Alcantara – Berks Sports Report

Daniel Alcantara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 11:16:00 +0000

The Red Knights were down five to Muhlenberg midway through the third quarter in the BCIAA semifinals. If you thought they were going to panic, you don’t know this squad. Senior forward Daniel Alcantara told me they’ve been in tight games against tough opponents many times in recent years, and they have the utmost confidence in each other. Reading opened the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run and never looked back. The top-seeded Red Knights defeated the fourth-seeded Muhls 70-54 at Santander Arena. Alcantara, a 6’5 all-state selection last season, finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds. He started the final period with a three-point play. Myles Grey followed with a triple from the left wing. That was his only field goal of the game and his 51st trey of the season. Xavier Davis came up with a putback and Justin Walker converted a fast-break layup to force a Muhlenberg timeout with 5:21 remaining. Reading’s advantage had quickly expanded to 60-49. Alcantara splashed a 3-pointer with one minute to go for the cherry on top of the ice cream. The (18-6) Muhls were limited to one field goal over the last eight minutes. They were outscored 21-8 in the fourth quarter. Alcantara admitted that his opinion of Muhlenberg really changed after last week’s 63-61 loss in Laureldale. He knew the Red Knights had to be focused. Edwin Suarez got his fourth foul with 2:25 left in the third period. The Muhls were on top 44-41, however Reading immediately put together an 8-0 run with the 6’6 senior on the bench. Suarez collected 21 rebounds to go along with nine points, ten below his season average. Alcantara said you can’t stop Suarez, you just have to try and slow him down. Junior point guard “Dan Dan” Mosquera kept Muhlenberg in it with 17 points. The Muhls received 15 points from their bench including eight from Luis Valentin who banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Ruben Rodriguez (14) and Davis (12) combined for 26 points. The (21-3) Red Knights have won ten of their last eleven contests. Alcantara emphasized that Rodriguez impacts a game in a variety of ways. The all-state junior guard has 1,161 career points. Alcantara reached 1,000 points in Monday’s quarterfinal rout of Wyomissing. We discussed that special moment at the Geigle Complex. Muhlenberg’s seven-game winning streak came to an end. They were 8-16 from the free throw line with 21 turnovers. Reading went 14-26 from the stripe. The attendance for the semifinals on Wednesday was 2,946. Alcantara called Santander Arena a second home for the Red Knights. They’ll battle #2 seed Berks Catholic on Friday night. Reading is looking for its 24th Berks Conference championship.

Daniel Alcantara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 23:07:00 +0000

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.

Daniel Alcantara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 22:55:00 +0000

Can the Red Knights be even better than they were last season? Daniel Alcantara certainly believes so, and that’s saying a lot because Reading is the defending Class 6A state champion. Alcantara and company started the season in thrilling fashion with a 60-57 victory over perennial power Imhotep Charter from Philadelphia. Alcantara appreciated the fan support in the Hoop Group Showcase at Albright. He said, “I was getting goosebumps the whole game.” The all-state forward poured in 27 points, tying his career high. Alcantara knocked down four three-pointers including two early in the fourth quarter. Nine of his points came in the final period when the Red Knights saw an 11-point lead get cut to two. The 6’5 senior told me that he has worked on his jump shot with his dad for a very long time. Alcantara gave credit to senior guard Joey Chapman for stepping up. Chapman finished with 16 points. He hit two clutch free throws with one minute remaining. Chapman contributed eight points in the fourth quarter. Reading outscored Imhotep 36-29 in the second half. Alcantara enjoys facing tough competition. Sophomore guard Ahmad Nowell had a team-high 20 points for the Panthers. He’s ranked #24 in the Class of 2024 by ESPN. Imhotep also has one of the top juniors in the country in 6’8 forward Justin Edwards. His minutes were limited due to foul trouble. Edwards ended up with 13 points. He has numerous Division I offers including Kentucky. The Panthers were up 28-24 at halftime, but got outscored 16-9 in the third quarter. Alcantara described his emotions after the game. He discussed what the Red Knights need to improve on, but they will definitely enjoy this win tonight.

Daniel Alcantara-Reading

Admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 15:31:47 +0000

Red Knights junior Daniel Alcantara had 18 points in Reading’s 66-58 victory over Wilson in another classic District 3-6A championship game. Alcantara came up big in the 4th quarter with 9 points. He’s a skilled 6’4 G/F. I caught up with him after the game. ⁦ @RDGschools
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