BRADFORD, Pa. – Allowing just three second-half points, including none in the fourth quarter, Coudersport won the inaugural NTL Tournament title with a 34-18 comeback victory over Oswayo Valley at Bradford High School.
The Lady Falcons trailed 15-12 at halftime but outscored the Green Wave 22-3 in the second half.
“I am just happy for the program and the kids,” Coudersport head coach Joe Bunnell said. “They’ve put in a lot of work together over the years. To say they are the first-ever NTL Tournament champs is pretty awesome.”
Oswayo Valley controlled the pace of the game in the first half to take the three-point lead at the break.
The Green Wave outscored Coudersport 10-3 in the first quarter as Charlotte Austin-Keech hit a 3-pointer and Brooke George scored four points.
Coudersport started to climb back into the game in the second quarter thanks in part to a Savannah Myers 3-pointer to get within three at the half.
Hallie Rigas then hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter with Sierra Myers also scoring four points to allow the Lady Falcons to go ahead, 25-18, going to the fourth quarter thanks to a 13-3 run in the third quarter.
Sierra Myers then hit another 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, and Rigas scored four more points to put the game on ice.
“Oswayo Valley dictated the pace too much in the first half,” Bunnell said. “I told the kids to come out and give us everything they had for 16 minutes, pressure the ball, run the floor, and good things will happen.”
Rigas led all scorers with 13 points with Savannah Myers adding eight points and Sierra Myers chipping in seven tallies.
Austin-Keech paced Oswayo Valley with seven points.
Both teams move into the District 9 playoffs.
Coudersport will meet Moniteau in the D9 2A semifinals on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Brockway High School, while Oswayo Valley will host Northern Potter in the opening round of the 1A playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
