Reading High boys basketball earns comeback win over Spring-Ford

Knotted in a close game late in the fourth quarter, Reading High played its best basketball when it mattered most.

Despite falling behind early, the Red Knights fought their way back and ended the game on a seven-point run to earn a 59-52 win over Spring-Ford in a non-league boys basketball contest on Saturday night at the Geigle.

“We made it ugly,” Reading High coach Francis Camara said. “We were just the tougher team at the end and we kept our composure. We just made the right plays down the stretch, which was really key for us.”

Tied 52-52 with 59 seconds to play, senior Yadiel Cruz scored the go-ahead basket to give the Red Knights the lead, which they did not relinquish. Trailing, the Rams sent Reading High to the foul line three times in the final minute, with Cruz going 2-for-2 and freshman Jeremiah Camara went 3-for-4 to seal it.

“Yadiel has been huge for us all season long,” Francis Camara said. “You just expect it. He’s a tough kid.”

Cruz led the Red Knights with 17 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. Teammate Weshly Rosario, a sophomore, finished with 11 points.

“We won because we got in a good position,” Cruz said through Rosario, who translated. “Somebody believed in us.”

Spring-Ford (14-4) opened the game with a 13-2 run and held a commanding 20-7 lead after one quarter. The Rams relied on their disruptive defense to create offense.

Reading High (10-6) responded with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter. The Red Knights began to create turnovers with their stingy 3/4-court defense and slowly chip away at the deficit.

“We were very disciplined in our defense,” Francis Camara said. “We did a good job communicating.”

Spring-Ford led 29-20 at the half. Senior E.J. Campbell had 14 points for the Rams in the first half and finished with 20 to lead all scorers.

Reading High continued to chip away at the deficit before taking a 41-40 lead — its first of the second half — with less than a minute to go in the third quarter. The Red Knights outscored Spring-Ford 25-16 in the third and the two sides were tied 45-45 heading into the fourth.

The game was a rematch of last year’s PIAA Class 6A semifinal, which Reading High won 55-32 before going on to capture the state championship. The Red Knights have now won three straight and four of their last five games, while the Rams saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end.

“We’ve been growing, growing and growing,” Francis Camara said. “That’s what it’s about.”