Gazi’s double-double leads Cougars to win

By JOSE NEGRON

jnegron@yourmvi.com

After a victory last week over Washington, Charleroi girls coach Bill Wagner was adamant about his team not simply coasting into the upcoming WPIAL  playoffs. 

“We want to roar into the playoffs and go in with a full head of steam,” the second-year coach exclaimed. 

It might not have been perfect, but the Cougars continued their surge Monday night with their third consecutive win, outlasting visiting Brownsville, 39-26, in a low-scoring Section 2-3A contest. 

Despite the sloppy effort, Charleroi (13-7, 9-4), which clinched a playoff berth with a win over Seton LaSalle Thursday, has won three of its last four. Brownsville (11-8, 6-7) has dropped three straight. 

“We had a lot of missed layups, a lot of thrown away balls and a lack of hustle at a lot of points in this game,” Wagner said. “It just didn’t seem like we wanted it, especially in the first half. We were a little bit better in the second half, but we gotta make layups.” 

Cierra Gazi led the offensive charge for the Cougars, scoring 15 points and adding 16 rebounds for the double-double. Gazi had 11 points and nine rebounds by halftime. 

“Any time we can get Cierra going, especially early, it’s usually a good night for us,” Wagner said. 

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