Dec 20, 2024
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Ella Moore (13) brings the ball past Muncy’s Emma McCormick (14) during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
MUNCY — Emma McCormick defends and plays offense against Addi Eyer every day. McCormick pushing Eyer at practice has helped her senior teammate become one of the area’s premier point guards.
Friday, Eyer’s clone showed how good she can be.
McCormick played her best high school game yet and, after Eyer picked up her third foul late in the first quarter, made sure Muncy did not miss a beat. The junior guard put on a defensive clinic, scored eight points and pulled down eight rebounds, helping her team defeat South Williamsport, 41-9 and take over first place in the Mid-Penn West Division.
This was a super team effort and every player coach Craig Weaver Sr. used made a positive impact as Muncy (5-2, 3-0) won its fourth straight game while snapping South’s three-game winning streak. Still, McCormick’s ability to fill a big void both highlighted this dominant overall performance as well as revealed what a weapon McCormick can be.
“In practice, I always have to go against Addi, so it pushes me to the next level. That helps me get my defense where I need it to be,” McCormick said. “Addi plays defense on me, so she helps and pushes me to where I need to be offensively and on defense.”
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy’s Addison Eyer struggles with South Williamsport’s Maddie Reidy for possession of a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
Both players make each other better and when they compete against each other at practice the big winner is the entire team. Eyer started strong against South, scoring seven points and adding an assist as Muncy went ahead 11-1.
When her third foul put Eyer on the bench it created what could have been a tense moment. Instead, Muncy players talked on the bench during a timeout soon after about how everyone needed to step. Then they turned words into action and McCormick was a major reason why.
McCormick stuck to explosive South leading scorer Abby Akers like glue and consistently harassed ball-handlers. Her skills and determination make McCormick an ideal defender and she again embraced that role against South, helping Muncy hold it to just three points until three minutes into the fourth quarter.
“Emma works hard and they all do. Emma did that last year, too,” Weaver said. “She took on that 6-footer from Minersville last year (Kaycee Raczka) and shut her down (in the state quarterfinals). She’s doing whatever it takes to help the team and everyone on the team is doing that which is awesome.”
“Coach always tells us to step up when someone gets into foul trouble,” McCormick said. “Addi did her part but she got those fouls and I knew I had to step into that spot because she plays really well on defense, too.”
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy’s Emma McCormick (14) struggles with South Williamsport’s Carly Quimby (14) for possession of a rebound during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
McCormick played an excellent offensive game as well. She was part of a unit which methodically moved the ball to set up quality shots and scored eight points during a six-minute spurt bridging the third and fourth quarters. McCormick capped that flurry by doing what she does best, competing hard for an offensive rebound and scoring off a putback.
Her performance helped Muncy experience a seamless transition following Eyer’s third foul and Muncy continued gathering steam, holding an opponent to 23 or fewer points for the third time in four games. This was not about a player making a bunch of steals to change the complexion either. This simply was a team doing seemingly everything right. Players talked as fast as they moved, Addi Gresh (7 rebounds, 2 blocks) again proved an eraser inside and the defending District 4 Class AA champions allowed just one field goal through the game’s first 27 minutes. All that against a team which had scored 50 or more points in three of its first four games.
“This is the way practices have been going. We have a long way to go but we’re not the same team that played the first game of the year,” Weaver said. “They have worked very hard and we have taken care of some our little defensive mistakes and totally pleased with what was going on.”
“We all communicated really well,” McCormick said. “We worked together really well and we’re all connected as one.”
That showed offensively as well. The Indians main rotation produced double figures in each of its three completed quarters and sophomore Ava Eyer continued her strong start, scoring a game-high 12 points. Eyer, who can play in the post or at either guard position, was a defensive menace as well, making five second-half steals while adding two assists. Her cousins, Anna and Rosie Zalonis, combined for five steals. Rachel Paulhamus hit a long jumper off the bench and Alexis McKeta added four rebounds as all the pieces fell into place.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Maddie Reidy (15) reaches for a loose ball during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
South (3-2, 2-1) will try putting those pieces back together Monday at Montoursville. The Mounties started the season strong but, in addition to Muncy’s intense defense, also missed a series of chippies and/or first-half layups which might have altered the game’s complexion a bit. Still, all they hope to achieve this year remains out there and Akers closed strong, finishing with nine points, five rebounds and two steals.
Muncy has already shown how quickly a team can improve, winning five of its last six games, with its lone loss being a close contest against 4A Milton (5-1). A selfless group, Muncy is playing relentless and unselfish as it barrels toward the new calendar year on a high.
“There’s a different mentality,” Weaver said. “The work ethic has always been there but now the glue that holds the little things together is starting to happen. That’s great to see.”
SOUTH (9)
Abby Akers 4 1-2 9, Ella Moore 0 0-0 0, Carly Quimby 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Apker 0 0-0 0, Maddie Reidy 0 0-0 0, Abigail Holbrook 0 0-0 0, Coco Kline 0 0-0 0. Totals 4 1-2 9.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Abby Akers brings the ball downcourt during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
MUNCY (41)
Addi Eyer 3 0-0 7, Ava Eyer 6 0-0 12, Rosie Zalonis 2 0-0 4, Addi Gresh 2 0-0 4, Anna Zalonis 2 0-0 4, Emma McCormick 4 0-0 8, Alexis McKeta 0 0-0 0, Rachel Paulhamus 1 0-0 2, Abby Niedermyer 0 0-0 0, Amelia Beckman 0 0-0 0. Totals 0 0-0 0, Taylor Shannon 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 0-0 41.
South 1 2 0 6–9
Muncy 11 12 12 6–41
3-pointers: Muncy 1 (Ad. Eyer).
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Maddie Reidy (15) moves the ball past Muncy’s Addison Eyer during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
Records: Muncy 5-2, 3-0 Mid-Penn. South 3-2, 2-1.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Ella Moore (13) reaches to block a shot by Muncy’s Addie Gresh during a high school girls basketball game at Muncy on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024.
RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy head coach Craig Weaver meets with his players during a high school girls basketball game against South Williamsport on Friday, Dec, 20, 2024. Muncy won 41-9.
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