ALBANY — The Comets snapped a three-game losing streak when they defeated the Benton Zephyrs 57-22 in a conference crossover game on Monday, Dec. 11. It was Albany’s second win of the young season.

While the victory looks good on the surface, a deeper inspection shows the full extent. Last year, Benton nearly doubled up Albany 65-33. The loss was one of the Comets’ 20 last year, as the team went 5-20. They didn’t win their second game until Jan. 6 — nearly a month after this season’s mark.

“Their (Albany boys basketball players) understanding of our system and improved skills are evident to me,” Albany head coach Kurt Soderberg said. “The kids spent a lot of time in the gym and the weight room over the off-season and that is showing.”

The Comets got off to a quick start thanks to their full-court press and trap in the corners. Benton had 13 turnovers in the first half, including seven steals for Albany. The pressure resulted in an 11-2 lead for the home team.

“We’ve been working on using multiple defenses to increase live ball turnovers and opportunities for easy baskets,” Soderberg said. “We have multiple options and tonight the trap was effective for us so we stayed with it. Creating multiple turnovers allowed us more opportunities to eventually build a lead.”

Kaden Zurfluh scored the first five points of the game, followed by a 3-pointer from Drew Sertle. Ty Durtschi’s basket gave Albany an 11-2 lead seven minutes into the game, forcing Benton to call a timeout.  

Out of the pause, Durtschi grabbed his own rebound off a missed 3 for a 2-point putback and 11-point Albany advantage.

As the half wound down, the Comets extended their lead two points at a time. Caleb Smith scored on an inbounds play, followed by back-to-back buckets from Sertle. The Zephyrs then committed three fouls in a span of a minute — the last resulting a trip to the free-throw line for Durtschi. 

Durtschi made both attempts, and Sertle scored from the post with 26 seconds left in the frame for a 23-7 lead. Benton’s seven points came from freshman Bayden Kilcoyne and senior Rylan Meyer. 

Albany kept pace in the second half, as Smith scored the first five points. He got a screen from Durtschi and pass from Zurfluh for a bucket then completed a 3-point play at the charity stripe.

The Comets extended their lead to 21 points with a 7-4 run. Drew Sertle scored back-to-back points for Albany, including an offensive putback. He grabbed another offensive board and kicked it out to Durtschi, who swung it over to Brayden Bakken for a 3-pointer. The shot gave Albany a 35-14 lead.

“There are times when we can have a decent-sized lineup on the floor,” Soderberg said. “

In the last seven minutes of the game, three new players scored for the Comets. Tyler Patchen used a hesitation dribble to evade a defender and drive to the basket. He also completed a 3-point play at the charity stripe after grabbing an offensive rebound. The free-throw gave Albany a 30-point advantage (52-22). Leon Parker scored on a putback, as did Kameron Parker with just over a minute left. Kameron Parker’s basket was the final of the game, resulting in a 57-22 win for the Comets.

Sertle led Albany with 16 points, including a pair of 3s. Zurfluh chipped in nine points. Smith paced the Comets on the boards with nine rebounds.