Aces show their mettle, but can't break through against District 3 power Reading
By Brady McHale
LM led through much of the first three quarters against state-ranked Reading at the Kobe Bryant Classic on Saturday, but couldn’t close the deal as the Red Knights emerged 52-41 in a hard-fought battle.
The first quarter was dominated by the Aces’ defense as it took almost the entire frame for Reading to get on the board. Senior Alon Seltzer, who finished with a game-high 23 points, connected on three straight threes to open the Aces’ scoring. Matt McKenna ’11 added two threes in the first half and the Aces used a methodical attack to post a 23-19 advantage after two quarters.
The third quarter was a tight battle. After Reading took its first lead late in the frame, Seltzer drilled another three-pointer to knot the game at 28-28. But the Red Knights hit a buzzer-beater three and carried momentum in to the fourth quarter. The Aces, who had been on fire from deep for most of the game, suddenly went cold and Reading began to take control of the game midway through the final period and hit free throws down the stretch to extend the final margin.
For his performance, Seltzer earned team MVP honors for the event. Also scoring for the Aces were Matt McKenna (9 points, 4 assists), Mike Buchwald (4 points), Mike Robbins (3 points) and Aaron Staley (2 points). Oliver Cohen finished with a game-high five assists.
The Aces return home Tuesday night for a 7:30 PM game against Upper Darby.