Jan 3, 2016 4 min read

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Early struggles for basketball teams can often be attributed to playing in a tough section, injuries or even the schedule.

You could try to blame all of the above for Canon-McMillan’s boys basketball team’s slow start, but maybe it just boils down to bad luck for the Big Macs. In a season where they were expected to take a big step forward, C-M is 0-4 in section play with another string of difficult games in the future.

On the surface, the start is a bit puzzling. The slide has occurred despite Canon-McMillan allowing just 58.2 points per game – the third-lowest in the section. Even with a 14-point loss to Chartiers Valley, the Big Macs’ average margin of defeat in section play is just 8.3 points.

Oh, and three of those losses were in overtime, including a nine-point loss to Baldwin, which has not lost to a WPIAL team. So, what’s going on in Canonsburg? Is it free-throw shooting?

Not necessarily. The Big Macs are shooting 61 percent from the line. Sure, it should be better, but not enough to be the only reason. Against Chartiers Valley, they only got to the line six times. With an increased emphasis on hand check fouls, that’s a bit puzzling, but again, not the only reason.

What about a lack of scoring? Junior point guard Britton Beachy is averaging 15.2 ppg, junior RJ Bell has 12 and junior forward Carson Miler has chipped in 10.5. In those four section losses, C-M has excelled on offense.

So, what about defense? Well, the Big Macs have allowed the second-most points per game against section opponents (71.8). That’s a big problem in Section 4-AAAA. Allowing easy points against teams like Chartiers Valley or Baldwin isn’t a recipe for success, no matter how much talent you may have.

It’s certainly not for a lack of effort. Head coach Rick Bell’s teams always play strong defense and sometimes opponents just make contested shots. That seemed to be the case against Baldwin, which did the same against Peters Township.

There’s no easy answer to what’s happening here, but the Big Macs will have to correct it quickly. Their next three games are against Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park and Peters Township.

A slow start can spoil a playoff spot and if Canon-McMillan doesn’t turn things around quickly, it will be on the outside looking in for the third consecutive season. A non-section win over Brownsville over the break was a major confidence boost, but how the Big Macs respond in section play will determine their playoff fate.

Greyhounds rolling

Monessen lost a tough non-section game against North Allegheny, but how it happened is what’s interesting. The Greyhounds (3-0, 7-3) have played five Class AAAA opponents and four of those games have gone to overtime. They have a 1-3 record in those games.

Monessen is averaging 88.7 points per game – the most in the WPIAL – and has only one real test remaining in a non-section game, which will come Wednesday at Clairton.

Success in the Mon Valley isn’t limited to Monessen. Charleroi’s boys are in first place and its girls team is putting up impressive numbers. The Cougars (4-0, 9-1) are averaging 59.8 ppg – the most in WPIAL Class AA.

Oh, and they only have two seniors. Sophomore guard Maria Claybaugh is averaging 15.8 ppg and sophomore guard Kaitlyn Riley 14.6. Charleroi is led by first-year head coach Kevin Lee and its missing arguably its best player from last season – sophomore forward Sierra Short, who suffered a season-ending injury during soccer season.

The Cougars face Wash High Monday night with first place on the line. How will they matchup against a bigger opponent? We’ll find out just how good Charleroi is.

Chartiers-Houston is just 1-3 in section play, but I’m interested to see how it looks against Washington Tuesday night. Junior guard AJ Myers is averaging 23.1 ppg and is as talented a player as you will see in Washington County this season.

He can take a game over. That being said, Washington picked up momentum last week with wins over Thomas Jefferson and Laurel. The latter was the most impressive. At the Chuckie Mahoney Classic, the Prexies rolled to a win behind a balanced scoring effort, which is something they haven’t had most of the season.

When Markel Pulliam, Matt Popeck and Nate Swart each score at least 15 points, good things will happen for Wash High. This is the team to watch in January and Tuesday night will be a big one.

Myers helped Chartiers-Houston win the Bentworth Tournament with 63 points in two wins and he added 28 against McGuffey Saturday