By Jacob Richman

Varsity basketball beat Berkner 55-45 Tuesday, bringing their district record to 4-0 and their overall record to 14-7.

A challenging opponent, Berkner, is third place in 9-6A and has had a strong season so far with a 13-8 record and a very close loss to Skyline earlier in the season.

“The guys have been getting better and better all season and we have beaten some really good teams,” Coach Justin Reese said. “We know we have to be ready to battle every night.”

In the first half, both teams struggled to put up many points leaving the score 21-18 in favor of Richardson halfway through the game.

Junior Jalen Patterson stood out in the second half, scoring 22 points and helping the Eagles rally in the fourth quarter by outscoring Berkner 25-13.

Scoring leaders were Patterson with 23 points, junior Xavier Elam scored 12, and senior Keaton Wallace added 12.

“The key to our success is how hard our guys work. They are an awesome group of players who play really hard,” Reese said. “They are really unselfish and play together.”

The win came a few days after beating the previously highest-ranked team in the state, Skyline.

“It makes us feel like we can beat anybody since we beat the top team in the state,” senior Keaton Wallace said. “It was pretty exciting to know we were the first team to beat them.”

This win puts the Eagles first place in district play with a 4-0 record. They look toward their next game against Coppell, the fourth place team in 9-6A.