Charles in Charge: Charles gritty performance helps spark Muncy girls to win at Warrior Run

TURBOTVILLE–Cierra Charles has no off button. The Muncy senior forward relentlessly competes all the time, never slowing down.

The way she plays is a tribute to who Charles is. But it also is doubly impressive since she has dislocated her knee multiple times during her scholastic career. No matter, Charles keeps going strong.

Charles provided energy and production Wednesday at Warrior Run, as did all her determined teammates. And that tenacity made a huge difference as Muncy opened its season with a hard-fought 36-28 win. Nolah Moyer (10 points, 10 rebounds) produced a double-double and Avery Bigelow and Mia Edkin each scored nine points, while Addi Eyer smoothly ran the offense.

Look at the box score and one will not be blown away, seeing Charles scored three points. But it all the other assets she provided which made a huge difference, including her grabbing nine rebounds, making three steals and playing stifling defense.

“That’s the kind of player she is. She just hustles all over the floor,” Muncy coach Craig Weaver Sr. said. “She does what’s asked of her and she came into her own the second half of the season last year and it carried over to the first game of her senior year.”

Charles set an energetic tone for an experienced and feisty team which went 18-5 last year, pulling down three first quarter offensive rebounds. Charles scored the game’s first points off a putback and Muncy fed off her energy, never trailing, but repeatedly fighting off Warrior Run comebacks.

Charles showed promise as a freshman coming off the bench before missing her sophomore season with the dislocated knee. She returned last season and provided a lift but is a more polished player now. She provides a well-rounded team another versatile weapon.

“I love basketball more than any of the other sports I play, so each year I keep working to get better,” Charles said. “We practiced really hard because we really wanted this game.”

Charles plays every game like it is her last, a trait her teammates share. She has loose ligaments in the knee, but nobody can tell by watching her play. Charles is non-stop energy and repeatedly made plays which do not show up in the stats, but which make the difference between winning and losing.

Whether it was the rebounds, the steals or deflections, Charles consistently wreaked havoc. She often tied up Warrior Run players following rebounds, creating jump balls or extending possessions. She twice found Bigelow for fourth quarter baskets as Muncy started pulling away. And Charles dove all over the floor, helping fuel a defense which limited Warrior Run to seven points or fewer in three of the four quarters.

The knee injury was a setback, but Charles has made quite a comeback.

“I just go out there stronger each time and each time is better,” Charles said. “Tonight, I was a little off with my shooting, but each time I missed, I still got up and helped my team any way I could.”

Her teammates did the same thing and that helped Muncy lead 13-11 at halftime despite struggling from the floor and at the foul line where it started 5 of 19 and finished 7 of 27. So many times, Muncy could have grown frustrated. Instead, it just grew more determined, dug in defensively and stayed ahead.

Muncy led by eight midway through the second quarter, but Warrior Run (0-2) closed within 13-11 at halftime. Twice in the third quarter, the Defenders made it a one-point game and seemed ready to surge ahead. Both times Muncy answered and pushed the lead back up, the first time when Moyer scored four straight points.

After Alexis Hudson went coast to coast and made it 19-18, Edkin heated up and her seven quick points fueled a run which had Muncy ahead, 30-25 entering the fourth quarter. The defense remained a constant all night and the offense heating up in the third quarter provided a turning point as Muncy scored 17 points and made its first six shots. Muncy also unselfishly worked its offense and produced 11 assists on 14 field goals.

“I kept telling them in timeouts that you have to slow down,” Weaver said. “Sometimes fast is not good when it comes to offense and eventually, they settled in. It was a good start.”

While Muncy may have operated too fast at times offensively, Weaver loves that speed defensively. Muncy featured one of the area’s premier defenses last season and picked up where it left off, swarming Warrior Run ball-handlers, rotating well and giving up clean looks at a premium. Warrior Run was harassed into a 26.7 percent shooting performance and Muncy never let it feel comfortable. Bigelow made three steals and Eyer and Edkin each had two in addition to pressuring the guards up and down the court.

“That’s what I like about this whole team. When the guards get running and apply the pressure, it’s going to be fun,” Weaver said. “That’s what we’ve been working on. We’re coming after you for 32 minutes.”

Warrior Run never backed down and Hudson played a strong game, scoring 11 points, while grabbing nine rebounds and adding two steals. Sienna Dunkleberger and Abby Evans each had five rebounds and the Defenders heated up in the third quarter when they scored 14 points. The problem then was Muncy grew even hotter and still extended that halftime lead.

Muncy then formed a blue wall throughout the fourth quarter. The Indians held Warrior Run scoreless until the final minute. By the time exciting freshman guard Maura Woland drained a 3-pointer, Muncy had built an 11-point lead and all but sealed the win.

“Defense is key in basketball. We try to do even better on defense than we do on offense,” Charles said. “We practiced hard and we knew this day was coming, so we were all trying our best.”

MUNCY (36)

Avery Bigelow 4 1-2 9, Addi Eyer 1 3-7 5, Mia Edkin 3 2-4 9, Nolah Moyer 5 0-6 10, Cierra Charles 1 1-7 3, Addison Gresh 0 0-0 0, Kaylynn Rice 0 0-0 0, Anna Zalonis 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 7-27 36.

WARRIOR RUN (28)

Alexis Hudson 5 1-1 11, Maura Woland 2 0-0 5, Sienna Dunkleberger 1 1-3 3, Abby Evans 1 0-0 2, Peyton Meehan 1 0-0 2, Holly Hollenbach 1 1-2 3, Kelsey Hoffman 1 0-2 2, Lydia Wertz 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 3-10 28.

Muncy 9 4 17 6-36

Warrior Run 4 7 14 3-28

3-pointers: Muncy 1 (Edkin); Warrior Run 1 (Woland).

Records: Muncy 1-0. Warrior Run 0-2.