Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Defense and depth were key factors in Reading’s 57-53 victory over Twin Valley at the Geigle Complex on Monday. “That’s us, that’s Reading High basketball. We play defense. Good defense leads to good offense,” said head coach Rashida Suber. The Red Knights forced 28 turnovers and rallied from a seven point deficit in the third quarter. “Our defense is very important to us, especially because we’re a very fast-paced team,” added Xiani Beatty. The 5’7 sophomore guard had a game-high 20 points, including nine in the pivotal third quarter. “She continues to be that leader on the floor defensively too. She’s the catalyst,” noted Suber. Nayara Ortega, a 5’10 senior forward, scored 14 points and splashed a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:46 left to give Reading a 47-44 edge. Sophomore Yolanda Velez chipped in with eight points.
The (8-7, 4-3) Red Knights trailed 15-12 after the opening period. Hailey Kilgore hit a triple to put the Raiders in front 20-16 midway through the second quarter. The Shippensburg commit ended up with 17 points, but made just two shots from the field. Kilgore was a stellar 11-for-11 from the free throw line. The 5’7 senior reached 1,000 career points last Friday in a loss to Wilson. The All-County selection is averaging 18 ppg. Twin Valley took a 26-22 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Kilgore connected from beyond the arc to begin the third quarter. Reading responded with a 11-to-3 run and took the lead when Beatty finished a fast break with four and a-half minutes remaining in the period. Kilgore sank a pair of foul shots with five seconds to go in the quarter to pull the (6-8, 4-2) Raiders within 41-40. Her sister, Olivia, provided a career-high 18 points. The 5’9 sophomore squeezed seven points into the fourth quarter. No one else had more than four points for Twin Valley.
The Red Knights have consistently used ten or eleven players this season. “We have the luxury of rotating kids in and out. When we get tired of pressing, we can put fresh legs in,” explained Suber. Beatty went 2-for-2 from the stripe to put Reading on top 49-47 with 2:23 on the clock. The Red Knights have struggled all season from the foul line. “We shoot free throws all the time in practice. I don’t know what is going on. Our coaches are not happy with that,” replied Beatty. Reading went 9-for-19 on Monday, while the Raiders were 16-of-19. Twin Valley committed a turnover with one minute left that resulted in a breakaway layup for Ortega. Hailey Kilgore then misfired on a NBA range 3-pointer with the Raiders trailing 52-48. Beatty was fouled with 27 seconds remaining and made her first foul shot. She missed her second attempt, however, JilliAnn Laws grabbed the offensive rebound and put it home for a 55-48 cushion. The 5’11 senior had six points on the night. Velez drilled two free throws with nine seconds to go for a 57-51 lead. The Red Knights outscored Twin Valley 35-to-27 in the second half. Reading turned the ball over 18 times, ten fewer than the Raiders.
Beatty comes from a very athletic family. Her brother, Xavier, won a gold medal in the PIAA-3A long jump last year. He also played basketball and football for the Red Knights. Their mother, Tanisha Giddens-Beatty, is a 1997 Reading graduate who scored 1,228 points in her career. “She helps me a lot. We talk after every game,” said Xiani.
The Red Knights had lost five of their previous seven games. They won their tenth Berks League Championship a season ago as a #4 seed. “This game was very important for us so we can get into our playoffs. We needed this win. We wanted this win,” stated Beatty.