Timby’s three-pointer completes fourth-quarter rally for La Salle over Reading
SHILLINGTON >> “Ice water, kid, ice water,” was one of the messages relayed to Jake Timby from the La Salle faithful, as he made his way to the team bus.
Another was simply “thank you, Jake.”
Timby had delivered, draining a three pointer from the corner with just two seconds to play to complete a fourth-quarter comeback for the Explorers and send them on their way to a spirited 47-42 victory over stunned Reading.
“It was big,” Timby said of his team’s rally, surely not the first of the season by this La Salle squad, “because we were down and we had to fight back and compete to get to the next round.”
La Salle heads to the PIAA-6A Second Round Wednesday and a matchup with either William Allen or Perkiomen Valley. The Explorers overcame a seven-point deficit in the fourth and battled through five lead changes before Timby’s shot fell clean through with two seconds left, making it 45-42.
A potential game-tying shot never came for Reading, as the Red Raiders were hit with a technical foul for calling timeout (they had none left). Allen Powell and Zach Crisler each made one of two foul shots to provide the final margin.
“Konrad (Kiszka) had the ball and went (isolation), crossed over to his left,” Timby said of how the winning shot was set up. “The help came so he just kicked it to me and I got a shot.”
Timby, a junior, finished with 12 points for the Explorers (24-3), with Kiszka — one of eight seniors for La Salle — leading the way with 19. Timby fed Kiszka for a tide-turning dunk midway through the fourth, bringing La Salle within 33-32.
A three by Timby put the Explorers ahead for the first time since the opening quarter. After Jose Brea drove for two to put the Red Raiders (20-8) up 36-35, Kiszka’s three gave the Explorers a 38-36 edge.
Back and forth they went, the game drawing even at 42 in the final seconds until Timby broke the deadlock and broke a lot of hearts in Reading, including the huge throng of Red Raider fans that packed Governor Mifflin Intermediate School.
“It was good execution,” Explorers coach Mike McKee said of the final shot. “Konrad’s a really good player and he knows who is in the corner with him. We kinda ran a play to iso him and get in a situation to make a play and he did.
“I thought our guys really came together (in the fourth). It was a matter of digging in, and our guys really did. Archbishop Carroll had us down by 17 heading into the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia Catholic League Quarterfinals (and we rallied to win), so our guys have faced some adversity before.”
A pair of baskets by Daniel Colter (19 points), including a three, gave Reading an early 5-0 lead.
The two teams settled in, tied at seven apiece, until the Red Knights began an 8-0 push. Colter scored seven first-quarter points and Jose Brea hit a three in transition, helping Reading to a 15-11 edge at the end of the period.
The second quarter was almost all defense.
The Red Knights hit only one field goal the entire period and La Salle drew closer but, like Reading, was kept from putting a solid run together. Powell and Timby had buckets for the Explorers to tighten things to 20-17 at the half.
La Salle trailed by five at the end of the third and by as many as seven in the fourth but found a way to advance.
“(Going into the fourth), we just said, ‘this is our last quarter,’ for the seniors especially,” said Timby. “We have a great team this year and we wanna keep it going, try to win states.”
