SMETHPORT — There hasn’t been much drama involved with the Coudersport boys’ 2016-17 season.
That tends to happen when you routinely win by 20-plus points.
It was fitting, then, that the Falcons’ final regular season contest was a ho-hum affair. Coudersport rolled past Smethport (4-15 overall, 3-12 NTL) 58-17 to complete a perfect 22-0 regular season, the first time the boys team has achieved the feat since 2007-08. In that season, the Falcons won 29 straight before finally falling in the state playoffs.
“I’m just real proud and appreciative of all the hard work those guys put in,” Coudy coach Brian Furman said. “It’s a great accomplishment. It’s not every year you get to go undefeated during the regular season.”
Like so many other times this season, the Falcons used their superior length, speed and athleticism to overwhelm the Hubbers at both ends of the court.
One of the things the Falcons do better than almost anybody else is create turnovers that lead to transition baskets, and there were once again plenty of those types of plays on Friday night.
Perhaps the best example of this occurred with a little under two minutes left in the first half. Coudy’s Jared Green came up with a defensive rebound and immediately heaved a dart of an outlet pass to Owen Chambers (who had 12 points), who laid it in for an easy two points that put the Falcons up 31-9.
Green — who notched his 1,000th career point on Wednesday against Galeton — was the game’s high scorer, as his 14 points gave him 1,015 for his career.
Furman noted how far his team has come since the beginning of the season, something that might not be easy to spot on a team that hasn’t had to face that much adversity on the court.
“I think why they’re so successful is how hard they work in practice and the effort they put into practice,” he said. “When you work as hard as they do in practice, you certainly see them get better.”
Another factor in Coudersport’s dominance this season has been its depth. On every trip down the court, the team looked to get everyone a touch, with the defense often scrambling from side to side and not knowing who might take the shot.
As a result, four different players notched at least nine points for the Falcons.
After David Rigas hit a 3-pointer to put Coudy up 56-16 with over three minutes to go, the Falcons emptied the bench to make sure every player got a chance to be a part of the history-making victory.
What’s been especially impressive is how Furman’s team seems to bring in the same amount of focus to every game. For some perspective, only two of Coudersport’s victories this season have come by single digits: a 56-54 overtime thriller against Ridgway on Jan. 6 and a 53-48 win over St. Marys on Jan. 20.
That same measured approach to each possession was evident against Smethport.
“It was kind of business as usual,” Furman said. “They’re excited to finish undefeated but we still have the playoffs ahead.”
Having already clinched the top seed in the AA playoffs, the Falcons figure to have at least a few days off before their next context. For Furman, the message will be the same as it’s been all season.
“This group works really hard, so it’s not going to be a problem,” Furman said with regards to any complacency that might set in. “We’ll come in and hopefully in the next couple days get an idea of who we might be seeing. But the guys are real focused. I don’t think we’ll have a problem. We’ll come in get the work done in practice and we should be alright.”
AT SMETHPORT
Coudersport (58)
Wolfinger 2 1-2 6, Owen Chambers 5 0-0 12, David Rigas 4 0-0 10, Keglovits 4 0-1 9, Murray 1 0-0 2, Jared Green 5 4-4 14, Ricke 2 0-0 4, Totals 23 5-7 58.
Smethport (17)
Szarowicz 1 1-2 3, Lutz 0 1-6 1, O’Neal 2 0-0 4, Tanner 2 0-3 4, Pearson 1 0-0 3, Costa 1 0-0 2, Totals 7 2-11 17.
Coudersport 14 33 44 58
Smethport 4 9 11 17
Three-point goals: Coudersport 7 (Wolfinger, Chambers 2, Rigas 3, Keglovits), Smethport 1 (Pearson)
Total fouls: Coudersport 14, Smethport 11. Fouled out: none
JV: Coudersport
