CORBIN — One program was chasing its first 50th District championship in 45 years. The other was fighting to avoid a third loss this season to the same opponent.
When the lights were brightest, it was the familiar power that delivered once again.
Corbin (15-13) rose to the moment Friday, rallying from a halftime deficit to defeat top-seeded Whitley County 61-57 and secure the Redhounds’ 10th 50th District championship since 2006.
“Unbelievable effort my team tonight,” Corbin coach Tony Pietrowski said. “They played with such a high level of effort and made winning play after winning play. I couldn’t be any prouder of them.
“This championship will always hold a special place in my heart,” he added. “This team has persevered through some really difficult times and never lost faith. Couple that with the fact I get to share it with Eli. For him to take down the district championship his senior year on our floor is story book. We will enjoy this one for the time being, but fully plan to make some noise at The Arena.”
Whitley County (19-11), which entered the night seeking its first district title since 1981, had already defeated Corbin twice during the regular season and carried a 29-26 lead into halftime. But the Redhounds responded with a decisive third-quarter surge and executed down the stretch to flip the script.
Evan Ellis fueled Corbin’s comeback, pouring in 17 of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter to lift the Redhounds to a 50-46 advantage heading into the final period. Trey Person finished with 15 points, including seven in the second quarter that helped keep Corbin within striking distance before the break. Eli Pietrowski added 13 points, scoring six clutch points in the final eight minutes to seal the victory. Lucas Brittain chipped in seven points, while Clay Akins scored two.
“Trey Person has been special for us of late,” Pietrowski said. “He’s developed into that third scorer we needed. He’s a true different maker. Evan Ellis is a workhouse. We ask him to handle it, then score and defend as well. I’m proud of his poise, he scored when needed, then distributed in crucial points as well. Special tournament for him.
“Eli is our workhorse,” he added. “He made some huge plays in critical moments. Cleaned the glass and probably put in his best defensive effort of the season. Clay, Lucas and Mason have really turned it on as well. Excellent defenders and scored during some big parts of the game.”
For Whitley County, Tootie Mahan led all scorers with 27 points while Henry Bowling added 10. Dee Parker scored nine, Garrett Sharp finished with six, and Levi Jackson added five in the loss.
“Disappointed in the loss but proud of our kids fight and determination,” Whitley County coach Eric Swords said. “We battled hard and gave ourselves a chance. Evan made some big shots for them in the third that gave them momentum we did a lot of things right but had some little lapses in execution that hurt us. That’s the next steps for us as a program. We will see who we get in the region and continue working.”
