Elida's Best signs with Zias

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Reavis Best fulfilled a dream Tuesday when she signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball at Eastern New Mexico University.

The Elida High senior is also keeping a promise she made to her older sister, Heidi Best, who died in 2007 in a motor vehicle accident.

“I actually promised her, or it was the deal between us, that I was always going to go and play college basketball somewhere and she would come watch,” Best said. “When she got into her wreck, the last words I said to her (at the hospital) is that I was going to play with pride for you. It was deal between me and her, and even though she isn’t here I know she’ll be watching.”

Best, who averaged a team-high 14 points and six assists as a junior, signed during the early signing period, which ends today.

ENMU coach Linden Weese said Best is the only player the team will sign early. The fifth-year Zias coach is excited about signing Best.

“We try to the get the best local kids that we can,” Weese said. “I think Reavis is one of those players who makes people around here better players. She understands the game extremely well, she’s a very good passer and I think she is a better athlete than people give her credit for.”

Best, who helped Elida win the Class B state volleyball championship Saturday, plans to pursue a pre-physical therapy degree.

“Staying at home means a lot to me because my (family) has been supportive of me from the beginning.” Best said. “I’ll have fans who will want to come and watch me. I’ve thought about going other places and I’ve had people who have come and talked to me about it. After talking to Coach Weese and meeting most of the girls, I just felt this was the place I needed to be.”

Best said she’s a big fan of Zias senior point guard Tori Northcutt, who will miss this season with knee injury suffered in a preseason scrimmage.

“I’ve watched Tori Northcutt play or the way she plays and how she passes the ball,” Best said. “I kind of look up to her and I want to follow in her footsteps.”