Addison Harper-Exeter

Exeter and Berks Catholic are hoping to return to the BCIAA playoffs this season after not qualifying for the tournament last year. They squared off on Friday evening at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. As expected, it was a tightly contested matchup. Addison Harper provided a team-high 17 points as the Eagles held off the Saints 45-39. The 5’9 sophomore guard has doubled her scoring output from a season ago. That improvement is the result of her hard work over the summer. “I was trying to get better at everything offensively. I tried to get better on defense too. I feel like training a lot, as well as playing with harder competition really helped me,” explained Harper. She’s averaging 17 ppg. this season. Exeter extended its winning streak to five games.

The (9-4, 4-1) Eagles jumped out to a 8-2 advantage. Berks Catholic went on a 6-0 run to tie things up, but Chayse Flood banked in a shot from the foul line to end the opening quarter. Liv Welker drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a minute left in the first half to pull the Saints within 20-19. They trailed 22-19 at halftime. Welker, a 5’10 senior, ended up with a game-high 18 points. She jammed eleven points into the third quarter. Her triple from the left corner put Berks Catholic in front 26-24 with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter. However, Exeter responded with a 8-1 run over the next two and a-half minutes. The Eagles made a living at the foul line in the third period. They connected on 11 of their 13 free throw attempts in that quarter. Harper went 7-for-8 from the stripe and Lillie Keperling was 4-for-4. The Saints made ten trips to the foul line in the third period and only missed once. Welker was a perfect 6-of-6 in that quarter. Exeter had a 39-35 cushion entering the final eight minutes.

Harper started the fourth quarter with a layup and an assist to sophomore Chloe Dauble. Her brother, Aidan, is averaging 13 ppg. for the Eagles’ boys basketball team. A putback by Janaiyah Ford got Berks Catholic within 43-39 with 3:14 on the clock. The (4-9, 1-4) Saints wouldn’t score again. “I feel like knowing their cuts and screens really helped us play defense better,” noted Harper. Alexa Turman finished a fast break for Exeter to make it 45-39. There was a scary scene with 58 seconds left. Berks Catholic sophomore point guard Abby Cannon was hustling back on defense when she crashed into the padded wall and hit her head. Cannon was down for a few minutes before being helped off the court. She was averaging 10 ppg. going into the matchup with the Eagles, but was held scoreless. Ford, a 5’9 sophomore forward, chipped in with seven points for the Saints. Freshman guard Jaylianni Ortiz added six points for longtime coach Bob Birmingham. He has a Berks County Girls League record 665 career wins over 37 years. The Saints are starting three sophomores this season and Ortiz gets significant minutes off the bench.

Flood, who’s committed to Elizabethtown for soccer, contributed ten points for Exeter. “She’s very valuable because sometimes we need another scorer,” said Harper. Keperling helped the Eagles’ cause with six points. They were 13-of-17 overall from the foul line, while Berks Catholic went 12-for-20. The Saints, who dropped their third game in a row, made three 3-pointers. Exeter didn’t hit any shots from beyond the arc. There were 53 combined turnovers, including 27 by the Eagles.