COUDERSPORT — Things got away from Coudersport early.
Once the proverbial dust from Otto-Eldred’s initial offensive explosion settled, the Falcons kept pace with the North Tier League-leading Terrors. But Gavin Jimerson’s dual-threat ability, Landon Francis’ savvy point guard play and O-E’s arsenal of dangerous outside shooters, however, an 18-point hole was too much to overcome.
The O-E boys basketball team proved its worth once again Monday in a 58-38 victory over Coudy, strengthening its grip atop the NTL in a game riddled with physicality.
“We stayed disciplined and ran our stuff,” said O-E coach Steve Bell. “The guys have bought in and we continue to get better at executing. That was definitely a difference early.”
After a back-and-forth start to the contest, O-E embarked on a run that spanned the majority of the first half and ended in a 22-4 Terror lead. Jimerson hit two wide-open 3-pointers from the top of the key, finding himself with space on the floor after O-E’s driving guards drew Coudy defenders.
“We were trying to get downhill,” Bell said. “Coudersport always wants either layups or 3-pointers, so we had a little bit of that mentality tonight.”
Jimerson put an exclamation point on O-E’s early run with a back-door cut, scoring easily on a lob from Francis. Jimerson finished with a game-high 24 points, and fed off of Francis’ ball distribution all night.
“(Francis) is great at spacing the floor and keeping everyone involved,” Bell said. “He can see the court really well. He enjoys having an athlete like Jimerson to give the ball to.”
Jimerson’s ability to shoot from distance added another layer to O-E’s attack, as the Falcons tried to stop him from scoring inside. In doing so, shots opened up for several of O-E’s capable outside shooters — and they didn’t miss.
Francis finished with 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Austin Cousins, meanwhile, scored 10 points, knocking down a pair of treys along the way. Jimerson and Manning Splain each pulled down 10 rebounds.
“Throughout the year, we’ve really held opponents down in scoring, and that’s been a big factor until our offense can get heated up,” Bell said.
O-E won the battle inside, and often surrendered free throws instead of baskets in the paint. Coudy struggled to cash in on its early chances, converting just 1-of-9 free throw attempts in the first half.
“We got really good opportunities at the rim and missed a pile of them,” said Coudy coach Scott Easton. “We’re down 16 at the half, and if we knock down our free throws down and make half of our bunnies, it’s a couple-possession ballgame.”
Christian Furman scored 21 points for the Falcons, and his 3-point shooting stopped the bleeding late in the second quarter. O-E’s man-to-man defense often frustrated Furman and Coudy’s other scoring threats, however, and the Falcons struggled to convert the open shots they managed to find.
“We gave a great effort on defense and had a good plan going in — we just couldn’t make our shots,” Easton said. “We got open threes and a lot of layup opportunities, and that’s part of the game, you need to finish. We didn’t do that very well tonight.”
LT Myers added seven points for Coudy, which fell to 9-9 overall despite dropping just its third game in 12 NTL contests.
“We like the physicality,” Easton said. “It gets you ready for the playoffs. That’s been Coudersport’s style for a long time and we like the man-to-man, but they certainly handled our pressure.”
O-E, meanwhile, left the building with a shining 12-0 conference record. The Terrors will host the Falcons Thursday in a rematch that, after 36 total fouls in Monday’s ballgame, has the potential to get chippy.
“It’s always going to be physical when O-E and Coudy play,” Bell said. “Man-to-man defense both ways, it’s a great rivalry and you don’t win league titles easily. This set us up well for that goal, and we’ll see these guys Thursday night.”
AT COUDERSPORT Otto-Eldred (58)Jimerson 10 0-0 24, Cousins 2 4-4 10, Splain 1 4-4 7, Francis 3 4-4 12, Maholic 1 2-2 4, Thomas 1 0-0 2. Totals:
Coudersport (38)Furman 6 2-4 21, Kellert 0 2-4 2, Ruter 1 3-7 6, Streich 1 0-0 2, Myers 2 1-4 7. Totals:
Three-point goals: O-E 8 (Jimerson 3, Cousins 2, Splain, Francis 2), Coudy 6 (Furman 3, Ruter, Myers 2); Total fouls: O-E 18, Coudy 18; fouled out:
JV: Coudy won.
