Lady Panthers senior says squad is playing better than expected
To win games, you have to score points and play good defense, and McKinley Charles of the Colleyville Heritage girls basketball team can certainly do both of those things.
The senior is an all-around force on the court, and coach Dianna Sager said that she has been impressed with the way that Charles has played in every facet of the game.
“McKinley is our three-point shooter,” Sager said. “In the first week of our season she was 9-of-11 from behind the arc. She can also break almost any press. She is a great ball handler. She has become an outstanding defensive player as well, with nine steals in our last game (Denton Ryan on Nov. 15).”
Charles moved from shooting guard to point guard last season to fill in for an injured Hannah Verdi, but she’s back at her true position this season.
Sager said she has two objectives for Charles this year.
“I expect her to continue to shoot when she is open and help us handle the press,” Sager said.
Charles said she is pleased with the start her team has had and said that a lot of it has to do with how her team performed in their home tournament, the Colleyville Tip-Off Classic.
“So far on the season, I think we are doing better than expected,” Charles said. “Winning our tournament changed a lot of thoughts about us.”
The Lady Panthers defeated Plano John Paul II, Amarillo Tascosa to start things off, and then defeated South Grand Prairie in the championship game of the tournament.
Charles said that she does her “best to bring energy and fun to this team,” and said she has some definite expectations for the 2016-2017 season herself.
“Personally, my goal this season is to have a better year than last,” Charles said. “I want to increase my three-point percentage. As a whole, our goal is to make it into at least a couple rounds of playoffs, and if we can do that, then state. We keep our team goals within reason, and we believe that that is possible.”
Charles is a member of the Spirit Sisters (a volunteer group that tries to bring spirit and excitement to the student body), as well as Student Council at CHHS, and said for Colleyville to have a strong season, it will take two things in particular.
“In order to have a good run in playoffs, we will have to focus and play our best,” Charles said. “When we play our best, we can do the unexpected.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2016 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Lady Panthers senior says squad is playing better than expected."