Glens Falls boys basketball has won 40 straight games

By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer

In case you haven’t been paying attention: The Glens Falls boys basketball program is really, really good right now.

That much was clear to the mostly full crowd in Hudson Falls on Friday night that watched the Black Bears dismantle the home team 87-49, snapping the Tigers’ eight game winning streak.

Further evidence of Glens Falls’s excellence is the fact that the Black Bears have won 40 straight games. When this issue hits the racks, it will have been 691 days since Glens Falls lost a basketball game. (That last defeat came on March 4, 2023, if case you were wondering, at the hands of Catholic Central by a 73-59 score for the Section II, Class B title).

So what is Glens Falls’s secret to success? “They have five really, really skilled players,” Hudson Falls Head Coach Greg Smith said after Friday’s game.

“Most high school teams don’t have five scoring options, so you can game plan and scheme and do things. They don’t allow you to do that, because they have five guys that can score. So it makes it twice as hard for us. We need things to go perfect for us to play with them.”

“There’s a reason that they haven’t lost a game in two years,” Smith said. “They’re going to be very successful. Injuries or transfers are the only things that are going to stop them.”

On Saturday and Sunday, Glens Falls traveled to Springfield, Mass. to face some non-local competition at the Hoophall Invitational. Saturday they defeated Nassau County’s Lawrence Woodmere Academy, 57-51. Sunday they beat New Britain (Conn.), 72-51.

One thing that was apparent at the Hudson Falls game was Glens Falls’ ability to force slews of turnovers on defense that lead to fast break opportunities on the other end of the floor.

Glens Falls Head Coach Rob Girard said “That’s how these kids have been since last year. They’re relentless. They make you feel uncomfortable.

“Sometimes it gets us in foul trouble, but I thought for the most part we were able to get our hands on the ball a lot tonight and then get out on the run and score some layups.”

Glens Falls’ starting lineup consists of freshman Aiden Prunty and seniors Brody Holcomb, Kellen Driscoll, Oscar Lilac, and Bryce McClenning. Holcomb is averaging 18.7 points per game, Driscoll 17.3, Lilac 14.7, Prunty 12, and McClenning 5.

As the season wears on, Girard said, “We’re making sure that we’re not getting complacent and that we compete every day in practice. The biggest thing for us is making sure we respect our opponents.”

The ultimate goal for the team, of course, is to continue winning every game in sight and repeat as state champions in Binghamton in March.

“As the season progresses, bigger things are there,” Girard said. “And these kids know that. It’s just a matter of going out on the floor and making sure everybody’s clicking at the same time. As much as possible, we’re trying to treat it one game at a time.”

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