Gov. Mifflin falls to C.V. in OT

Paul Roberts — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:26:14 +0000

It looked like Cumberland Valley was going to cruise to a win over Gov. Mifflin in the CoBL Winter Classic on Saturday afternoon. The defending District 3-6A champions led the Mustangs 35-20 in the third quarter at Exeter. Gov. Mifflin, however, opened the fourth quarter on fire. The Mustangs used a 11-0 run to go up 42-41 on Jahmair Johnson’s layup with 5:45 remaining. Matt Koehler knocked down three of his four 3-pointers in the final period. The 6’3 senior forward finished with a game-high 20 points. Despite a valiant effort, Gov. Mifflin came up short 58-51 in overtime. With the game tied 48-48, the Mustangs held the ball for the last minute of regulation. A 3-pointer from NBA range by point guard Andrew Galantuomo was off the mark at the buzzer. Aiden Diehl made a pair of free throws to put the Eagles in front 52-49 with 1:03 left. Koehler missed on two attempts from beyond the arc that could’ve tied it up. The final 35 seconds was a parade to the free throw line by Diehl. The 6’6 sophomore went 6-for-8 down the stretch. He ended up with eleven points. Gov. Mifflin was held to three points in overtime. Ian Fleming made a couple of treys and scored eleven points. Johnson and Galantuomo added seven points apiece. The (2-1) Mustangs were 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, while Cumberland Valley went 15-of-23. Nolan Buzalka had a team-high 16 points for the (1-1) Eagles. The 6’3 senior fouled out with 2:10 to go in the fourth quarter. Senior shooting guard JJ Lebo fouled out with three minutes to play in overtime. Creston Austin, a 6’4 senior, stepped up with 15 points. Cumberland Valley returned four starters from last season’s (25-4) team that earned the school’s first District 3 title. Gov. Mifflin also has four starters back for first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. The former All-County guard for the Mustangs was the head coach at Wyomissing a season ago. Gov. Mifflin trailed the Eagles 25-18 at halftime after scoring just eight points in the second quarter. The Mustangs can certainly build off of their resilience in the fourth quarter. Gov. Mifflin has another tough test on Tuesday. The Mustangs will take on Muhlenberg in Shillington.

B.C. beats Cumberland Valley in Opener

Paul Roberts — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 05:47:42 +0000

Berks Catholic kicked off its 2024-25 season with a bang. The Saints defeated Cumberland Valley 60-57 in the CoBL Winter Classic at Exeter. The Eagles are the defending District 3 champion in Class 6A. They returned four starters from that (25-4) squad. “We have a lot of things to improve on, but to beat a seasoned team like them, I’m very happy for our ball club,” said longtime head coach Snip Esterly. All-State guard Kingston McKoy struggled in the first half. The 6’2 junior managed just two points as the Saints trailed 26-19. McKoy, however, erupted in the second half. He jammed 15 points into the third quarter and finished with a game-high 25. “That was the Kingston that we see every day,” replied Esterly. Cumberland Valley didn’t have an answer for McKoy who scored at all three levels. Berks Catholic opened the second half on a 14-0 run and a dozen of those points came from McKoy. The Saints outscored the Eagles 24-10 in the third period. Zach Suski, the quarterback of Berks Catholic’s football team, drilled a 3-pointer from in front of his bench midway through the fourth quarter. That shot made it 52-44, but Cumberland Valley didn’t go away quietly. McKoy missed a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left. A layup by physical 6’3 senior Nolan Buzalka trimmed the Eagles’ deficit to 58-56 with 18 seconds remaining. After a Saints’ turnover in the backcourt, Sam Parsons was fouled on a putback attempt. The 6’3 junior went 1-for-2 from the foul line. Bryce Gumby, who didn’t play basketball a season ago, converted two clutch free throws with eight seconds to go. Gumby provided twelve points off the bench. The 5’11 senior gave Berks Catholic a 60-57 cushion. JJ Lebo, a 6’3 senior guard, didn’t hit the rim on a 3-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer. Creston Austin led Cumberland Valley with 15 points. Sophomore Jared Dolimpio chipped in with 13 points and Buzalka added ten. The Eagles were 9-of-14 from the foul line, while the Saints went 8-of-14. McKoy hit two of Berks Catholic’s four treys. Cumberland Valley only connected twice from long range. Freshman guard Carmelo Harper gave the Saints a boost with ten points. Esterly earned his 816th victory over 36 years as a head coach. “It was a nice win over a very nice team,” he said.

Cumberland – Berks Sports Report

Gov. Mifflin falls to C.V. in OT

B.C. beats Cumberland Valley in Opener