Basketball is a huge part of the life of Midland Classical Academy (MCA) player Leia Beattie.
Beattie had a front-row seat as her older sisters helped MCA clinch the 2014 state championship. Donning the purple and black, Beattie created her own legacy for the Lady Knights with her aunt, Carla Cunneen, as her head coach.
Beattie ended her four-year prep career with a third consecutive TAPPS 3A state championship and another turn as the Midland Reporter-Telegram’s High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
A look at her senior year line – 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 5.5 steals – will have you thinking she is an all-around athlete on the court. Her scoring ability and tenacious defense will soon benefit Montana State, a thousand miles away to the north, just as did MCA.
Though primarily an offensive weapon, Beattie acknowledged that defense is an integral part of the college game.
“At the next level, especially Division I, you have to play defense if you want a chance at getting some playing time,” she told the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “I really tried to take this year as an opportunity to improve as a defensive player. And of course, I’m always improving my offensive skills. But I really focused on defense and being able to stay in front.”