Shermar Killen-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:36:45 +0000

Shermar Killen was motivated by Tuesday’s loss at Gov. Mifflin. The 6’2 senior guard was limited to three points in the second half as Muhlenberg fell 77-73 to the Mustangs. Killen wasn’t going to let that happen again on Thursday night in front of a sold-out crowd in Laureldale. He erupted for 28 points in an intense 70-58 victory over Reading. “It’s a rivalry game. My coaches always tell me they need me. My teammates tell me they need me. I just want to be the best I can be for them,” he said. Killen is a physical guard who loves to attack the basket. He was 10-for-10 from the free throw line. “The kid took a lot of pride in the offseason in the weight room and conditioning…We rode his back and he delivered,” replied head coach Matt Flowers. Killen’s career-high of 29 points came against the same opponent in the same gym on January 9th. The Muhls beat Reading 87-74 in double overtime on that night. This one wasn’t as close, although the Red Knights were on fire early. They raced out to a 19-7 advantage on Jostin DeCastro’s three-point play with 2:42 left in the opening quarter. The 6’2 sophomore guard jammed all 17 of his points into the first half, including 13 in the first period. Reading was in front 28-18 after eight minutes and 37-22 midway through the second quarter. Killen, an All-County selection last season, scored nine points in the second quarter and brought Muhlenberg within 37-34 at halftime. During the break, the Muhls discussed their defensive game plan and made a key adjustment. “We figured it out. We were playing a little too close to them so they were able to blow by us,” explained Killen. Muhlenberg backed off slightly and the (1-4) Red Knights managed just 21 points in the second half. They didn’t make any 3-point shots. The (5-2) Muhls outscored them 21-10 in the third quarter. Killen provided ten points in that period. Muhlenberg took its first lead with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter on a layup by talented 6’3 sophomore Eli Hemmings. Reading was scoreless for the first three minutes and ten seconds of the fourth quarter. The Red Knights fell behind 59-47. Weshly Rosario finished with 14 points and sophomore guard Jeremiah Camara added a dozen. Reading committed 18 turnovers, while the Muhls only had nine. Senior guard Jayden Kantner contributed ten points for Muhlenberg. Hemmings and sophomore guard LJ Armstrong chipped in with eight points apiece. The Muhls were 17-of-24 from the foul line. Jadin Perez, the son of current Muhlenberg assistant coach Rick Perez, came off the bench and hit two of his team’s three triples. The Red Knights ended up 14-of-16 from the charity stripe, but they only made three field goals in the final period. Meanwhile, Killen has big expectations for the Muhls after going (16-12) a season ago. “I feel like we’re gonna make a long county [playoff] run, a long district run, and a long state run,” he said.

Killen – Berks Sports Report

Shermar Killen-Muhlenberg