LONDON — Two rivals went head-to-head Friday when North Laurel hosted Corbin in a rematch of last season’s 13th Region championship game.
The game was close throughout with the Redhounds holding on to a slim 60-57 advantage with 1.3 seconds remaining.
That’s when things got interesting.
North Laurel’s Kole Jervis connected with a half court heave at the buzzer to send the game into overtime tied at 60 apiece.
It took two overtimes to decide a winner with the Jaguars (14-14) pulling out a 75-71 win.
The four-point victory turned out to be North Laurel’s 11th in a row over Corbin.
“I’m really happy for our players to get a win on Senior Night,” North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. “They have been very resilient all year. It was great to have a tournament like atmosphere as we head down the stretch. Corbin has a very good team and we were fortunate to get out of tonight with a win.”
The Redhounds were their own worst enemy. They had a chance to put the game away in regulation but missed two free throws that would have sealed the win. Corbin struggled from the free-throw line the entire game, connecting on only 13-of-30 attempts.
“Disappointing loss for our team,” Corbin coach Tony Pietrowski said. “We played with a lot of effort but ultimately didn’t make enough plays in key situations to win the game. (Going) 13-of-30 from the foul line was obviously a major reason we didn’t come out on top. Too late in the season to feel sorry for ourselves. We will regroup and be better for these situations and outcomes down the road.”
The Redhounds (16-8) led 18-12 at the end of the first quarter, but the game was nip and tuck the rest of the way. It was tied at 23 apiece at halftime, and 43 apiece entering the fourth quarter before going into overtime tied at 60 apiece. Both teams managed to score only two points apiece in the first overtime before the Jaguars put the game away in the second overtime.
Jervis led all scorers with 28 points while hitting three 3-pointers, and finishing 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. Brody Brock finished with 20 points while hitting four 3-pointers, including a key basket from long range in the second overtime. Cooper Elza also scored in double figures, finishing with 16 points.
Eli Pietrowski led Corbin with 24 points while hitting two 3-pointers. Trey Worley added 17 points while Carter Stewart finished with 10 points.
