The Charleroi Cougars pushed their score all the way to 60 on Monday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 65-60 hit to the loss column at the hands of McGuffey. While losing is never fun, Charleroi can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 436th, while McGuffey is ranked 182nd).
Charleroi's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ella Sypolt, who scored 22 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Sypolt has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Carroto, who scored 15 points.
Alexis Ewig was her usual excellent self, scoring 24 points along with seven rebounds and two steals for McGuffey. Ewig continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Libby Mallah, who scored 12 points along with two steals.
Charleroi has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost seven of their last nine games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for McGuffey, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-2.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Charleroi will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Waynesburg Central at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for McGuffey, they will look to defend their home court on Monday against Jefferson-Morgan at 7:00 p.m. Jefferson-Morgan has now lost seven straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 15.
