Lady Hounds win 50th District championship

The Corbin Lady Redhounds (16-12) will be entering into this year’s 13th Region tournament as 50th District champions after defeating the South Laurel Lady Cardinals Thursday night, Feb 25, by a final score of 64-52.

This is the fourth district title in as many years for the Lady Hounds, making them the first team in the program’s history to achieve such a feat.

Head Coach Jason McDaniel said of Thursday’s history-making victory, “The girls stuck with the game plan tonight. I praise them for their focus and intensity. This means a lot, especially to our seniors. I could see the excitement on their faces after the game. We are going to enjoy this now, but we’re still hungry.”

McDaniel said two keys to his team’s success against the Lady Cards was their ability to effectively pull down rebounds, as well as their ability to apply consistent pressure on defense. He also mentioned that senior Morgan Philpot had what he called a “huge night,” hitting some big shots that helped the Hounds come away with the win. He said that fellow senior Candice Gulley unfortunately found herself in some foul trouble, but she was still able to provide a flurry of points in the third quarter that gave Corbin some much needed momentum heading into the final stages of the contest.

McDaniel also commented that he was happy to get some quality minutes off the bench from the likes of Sarah Beth Price and Jadyn Robertson, and he added that Tori Baker had a great night near the basket. Senior Jaclyn Jewell and junior Kameryn Ashurst have been shouldering much of the load this season in terms of offensive production, but this district championship win truly was an overall team effort.

Coach McDaniel is happy to see more of his players stepping up as of late, especially with the region tournament just days away. “I saw a big difference in our team this week,” he said. “One of the biggest joys about coaching is to see kids have success, to finally see them come forward and realize their potential. That is the kind of fulfillment that I am getting with this team.”

McDaniel and company will let their district title victory sink in for just a little while before they find out Saturday morning who they will be facing in the first round of this year’s region tournament. The News Journal will pass along the complete region tourney brackets for both the girls and the boys as soon as that information becomes available this weekend. Continue to follow us online and on social media for updates.

Corbin 64, South Laurel 52
Corbin – 12 14 17 21 – 64
S Laurel – 9 15 12 16
CHS – Candice Gulley 17, Kameryn Ashurst 14, Morgan Philpot 14, Sarah Beth Price 9, Jaclyn Jewell 4, Tori Baker 4, Jadyn Robertson 2
SL – Ally Collett 16, Emma Hibbitts 10, Katie Reynolds 9, Dianna Morgan 8, Amerah Steele 7, Taylor Cromer 2

Photos courtesy of Ashley Norvell