Chester’s Michael Smith, 1, drives past Reading’s Lonnie Walker, left, and Hector Dixon Tuesday. Smith scored 14 points in a 62-51 win. (Digital First Media/Anne Neborak)
By Matthew De George
When Chester’s boys basketball schedule dropped a few months back, you can bet Tuesday night’s game was the first one circled by orange pens around the city.
Blue-chipper Lonnie Walker, a highly-touted installment of perennial state-title contender Reading — and oh-by-the-way the team that ended Chester’s 2015-16 season — brought all the makings of a special night at the Fred Pickett Memorial Gymnasium.
In just about every way, a young but bright Chester squad obliged the hype with a 62-51 win that overshadowed the bright star that is the Miami-bound Walker.
The defense-first performance was vintage Chester, nullifying Walker’s usual sizeable influence on the game. The high-flying wing had a pair of his obligatory, gravity-defying dunks. But his 13 points included a scant three in the second half and a ghostly impact.
(Webmaster’s note: This was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)
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