Corbin 88,Harlan 62

Corbin Gets Its Revenge, Rolls Past Harlan 88–62 on Senior Night

Corbin had not forgotten the way the first meeting ended.

Harlan’s last-second basket at Red Bird on January 24 had handed the Redhounds a 61–59 loss and ended their hopes of reaching the All “A” state tournament. Before the regular season finale, Corbin’s coaching staff made sure that memory was fresh.

“Before the game we watched the last-second shot that beat us in the All ‘A’ tournament,” senior Stephen Cook said.

This time, Corbin left nothing to chance.

The Redhounds pulled away late in the first half, took command with their pressure defense in the third quarter and finished with an 88–62 victory over the Green Dragons. On a night set aside to recognize five seniors, Corbin gave its home crowd plenty to celebrate.

Cook, Brad Mason, Bobby Hendrickson, Jimmy Hendrickson and Tim Gore received the starting nod from coach Tony Pietrowski. Bobby Hendrickson opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but Harlan quickly answered.

Brandon Brock’s three-pointer started a 12–2 Harlan run, forcing Corbin to work its way out of an early hole.

Johnny B. Hammons helped turn the opening quarter around after Pietrowski went to his regular lineup. Hammons connected from beyond the arc to trim Harlan’s lead to 12–8, then hit another three-pointer with a minute remaining to put Corbin ahead 13–12. Isaiah Mills tipped in a basket at the buzzer, sending the Redhounds into the second quarter with a 17–13 lead.

Harlan responded with seven straight points to open the second period. Jeremy Farmer answered with five consecutive points of his own, putting Corbin back in front, 22–20.

The teams continued trading the lead until Corbin finally found room to separate.

Brad Henry’s jumper gave Harlan its last lead at 26–24 with 5:02 remaining in the half. Bobby Hendrickson answered with a three-pointer, and after the Green Dragons tied the game at 29, Tyler Henson put back a Hammons miss to give Corbin the lead for good.

That basket began an 11–2 finish to the half, sending the Redhounds into the locker room ahead 40–31.

Corbin’s defense took over after the break.

Two Mills free throws pushed the advantage to 46–35 with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter. Over the next 2:25, the Redhounds’ press forced four Harlan turnovers and helped stretch the lead to 56–41.

Henry briefly cut the margin to 12 with a three-pointer, but the Green Dragons would get no closer. Corbin closed the quarter on a 9–2 run and carried a 65–46 lead into the fourth.

The final period gave the seniors their chance to finish the night together.

With 3:05 remaining, Bobby Hendrickson stole the ball from James Jacobs and headed toward the basket with his cousin, Jimmy Hendrickson, following the play. Bobby delivered the pass, Jimmy finished the layup, and Corbin led 84–57.

Fifteen seconds later, Pietrowski brought his seniors off the floor. The home crowd greeted them with an ovation while their younger teammates welcomed them to the sideline with hugs.

Afterward, Pietrowski pointed to better decisions, improved shooting and a stronger effort as the differences between the January loss and the convincing rematch victory.

The Redhounds could now turn their attention to Barbourville in the opening round of the 50th District Tournament. Cook cautioned that the Tigers would require four quarters of focused basketball.

For one night, though, Corbin had settled an old score and sent its seniors off the home floor with a win worth remembering.

Game Summary

• Decisive first-half run: Corbin outscored Harlan 11–2 after a 29–29 tie.
• Third-quarter pressure: Corbin forced four turnovers in a span of 2:25.
• Seniors honored: Stephen Cook, Brad Mason, Bobby Hendrickson, Jimmy Hendrickson and Tim Gore
• Next opponent: Barbourville in the opening round of the 50th District Tournament