C.B. West rolls in opener

It was all Nicole Munger had been thinking about for a while - game day.

So you can imagine that, when the morning of the first contest of the Central Bucks West girls' basketball season arrived, it was hard to pay attention during school.

Especially with the junior guard and the rest of the Bucks clad in their black-and-gold travel suits, high-fiving one another as they passed in the halls, getting encouraging words from fellow students between classes.

Friday night, the Bucks took all of the energy and excitement surrounding the season and turned it into a nonleague victory over host West Chester Rustin, 71-55.

It was the "shortest school day" of her life, Munger said, because of how excited the team was to get the season underway. Even so, the Michigan recruit managed to focus on her Advanced Placement exam in U.S. history during the final period of the day before heading to Wawa with her teammates and boarding the bus to Rustin.

The Bucks started sluggishly, but went on a 15-2 run to close the first quarter. West continued to pour it on in the second period by dominating the Golden Knights in all aspects of the game, but especially on the boards.

Rustin gained momentum in the second half, eventually getting within six points in the fourth quarter behind the stellar play of junior guard Noelle Powell, who finished with 28 points.

"The third quarter, we came out kind of flat," C.B. West junior Mackenzie Carroll said. "In the fourth quarter, we came out hard. We knew we wanted to win this so bad, so we came out and won it."

Carroll (22) and Munger (18) combined for 40 points, as they set the tone on offense as well as on the defensive end, making some big hustle plays for loose balls.

"We let instincts take over," Munger said.

Sure, it might have been difficult for Munger to pay attention during the first three periods of the day, but when she stepped on the court, all that was present was a steely-eyed focus.

Central Bucks West 18 23 10 20 – 71

West Chester Rustin 14 8 19 14 – 55

CBW: Mackenzie Carroll 22, Nicole Munger 18, Peyton Traina 12, Corrine Godshall 10, Meghan Tilger 3, Laura Roth 2, Makenzie Mason 2, Maggie Rakowsky 1, Taylor Moylan 1.

WCR: Noelle Powell 28, Adashia Franklyn 12, Casey Warley 5, Katie O'Hare 4, Emily Walls 3, Annie Pitts 2, Courtney Warley 1.