HARLAN — Never underestimate the resilience of Isaac Wilson’s Corbin Lady Redhounds.
In Monday’s Kentucky 2A, Section 7 title game against Knox Central, Corbin found itself facing a daunting 45-28 deficit at halftime. It seemed as though the Lady Panthers would eliminate the Redhounds from the tournament for the second time this season.
“However, the Lady Redhounds had other plans. Led by the impressive scoring of Tournament MVP Kylie Clem and Lydia King, Corbin mounted a remarkable comeback, outpacing Knox Central 51-27 in the final 16 minutes.
The Lady Redhounds secured a thrilling 79-72 victory, earning them the Kentucky 2A, Section 7 championship.
“I’m proud of my kids for the amount of fight that we displayed tonight in the second half,” Wilson said. “This team continues to show a grit and fight that makes them very special. No team wants to get down 18 in any basketball game, but if I had to choose a team to be able to come back from it, it would be this group of girls.
“I’m happy for my kids and the program as we now get to travel and compete for a 2A state championship,” he added. “We understand what honor it is to represent the 13th Region and we take that very seriously.
“Everyone on our bench was a huge contributor to tonight’s win and we have to continue to feed off each other as we move forward throughout the season,” Wilson continued. “We have a quick turnaround and open up district play tomorrow night with South Laurel, and we must be ready to play from the start.”
Clem led the way with 23 points, 20 of those came in the second half. She also hit 10-of-12 free throw attempts. King added 20 points while hitting three 3s, and 7-of-8 of her free throw attempts. Freshman Kalley Stewart finished with 12 points, going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
The Lady Redhounds trailed 20-9 at the end of the first quarter and were outscored, 25-19, in the second quarter as Knox Central led by as many as 18 points.
Clem took over in the third quarter, scoring 12 points as Corbin (12-2) went on a 26-11, cutting its deficit to 56-54 entering the fourth quarter.
Clem added six points in the final eight minutes while King scored 10 points, leading to the Lasy Redhounds’ comeback win.
Shelbie Mills led Knox Central (11-4) with 25 points while hitting three 3s, and finishing 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Halle Collins followed with 24 points while hitting 10-of-13 free throw attempts.
Members of Corbin’s All Tournament Team were Addy Wilson, Lydia King, Raegan Walker, Kalley Stewart, Kylie Clem.
