HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) - With some of its beloved basketball heroes seated in the crowd and another playing in his final high school game on the floor below, Reading made history at Giant Center on Saturday night.
It was Lonnie Walker, the Miami-bound standout, who fueled the Red Knights to the Berks County school’s inaugural state boys basketball championship.
Walker, playing his final game, scored 22 points. Jose Genao Batista finished with 14 and Tyrone Nesby collected 10 of his 11 in the third quarter as Reading defeated Pine-Richland 64-60 in the PIAA’s Class 6A title game before a record gathering of 9,531.
Reading’s only other appearance in a state final was in 1973, when the Red Knights dropped a 63-62 decision to General Braddock at Harrisburg’s Farm Show Arena.
With the Red Knights (30-3) clinging to a 45-41 lead late in the third quarter, Reading held the ball for more than a minute before turning Walker loose. One dizzying finish at the rim, just before the horn, gave Reading a 47-41 edge after three quarters.
Walker then opened the fourth quarter with a floater and another layup, as Reading’s lead increased to eight points (51-43). Pine-Richland drew within two (54-52) at the 3:26 mark on Evan Luellen’s layup, but Jeff Ackermann’s Rams (28-2) never got closer.
Nor could they tie the game, as Wesley Butler’s old-school three-point play, Walker’s thunderous windmill dunk in transition and a pair of freebies from the 6-foot-5 senior had the Red Knights up 61-52 with a minute showing on the clock.
That lead was more than enough to set off the crowd that included such Reading greats as Stu Jackson - Jackson, a future NBA executive, was on the 1973 squad that tumbled in the final - and Donyell Marshall. Moments later, that title arrived.
Pine-Richland, the District 7 champion, popped four players into double figures yet was unable to collar its first state title. Notre Dame football commit Phil Jurkovec paced the Rams with 14 points, while Andrew Petcash and Sean Colosimo each added 11.
The Rams also picked up 10 points from Nolan Rausch.
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Reading 64, Pine-Richland 60
Reading (30-3) 64
Wesley Butler 2 1-1 6; Lonnie Walker 9 4-4 22; Tyrone Nesby 3 3-4 11; Isiah Cook 3 1-2 9; Tymir Comfort 1 0-0 2; Jose Genao Batista 4 4-4 14. Totals: 22 13-15 64.
3-point goals: Nesby 2, Cook 2, Genao Batista 2, Butler.
Did not score: Hector Dixon, Xavier Starks.
Pine-Richland (28-2) 60
Greg Shulkosky 2 0-0 4; Andrew Petcash 2 6-8 11; Nolan Rausch 3 2-2 10; Evan Luellen 1 0-0 2; Andrew Kristofic 4 0-0 8; Phil Jurkovec 7 0-3 14; Sean Colosimo 4 0-0 11. Totals: 23 8-13 60.
3-point goals: Colosimo 3, Rausch 2, Petcash.
Did not score: None.
Score by quarters
Reading’13’15’19’17 - 64
Pine-Richland’8’22’11’19 - 60
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