| West Henderson's Mike James and Smoky Mountain's Jackson Simmons, far right, go after the ball during Wednesday's game at West as Smoky's C.J. Fortner looks on. PATRICK SULLIVAN/TIMES-NEWS |  |
Times-News Staff Writer
Exams gave Zach Corliss the opportunity for an extended shootaround prior to West Henderson High School's 46-43 home win over previously unbeaten Smoky Mountain.So when he stepped to the foul line Wednesday for a one-and-one opportunity the senior wasn't nervous. Why would he be? The Falcons were only trailing the top-ranked 2-A team in the state by one point with 37.3 seconds remaining."I was thinking back to those free throws I shot during fourth period saying to myself, 'No need to be nervous,'" Corliss, who scored a team-high 18 points, said. "I'm supposed to make them."Make them he did and when Buddy Hutchinson made a steal and two free throws with 19.8 seconds left all the Falcons needed was one more stop to vault themselves back into the WAC race.West, which played "very well on the defensive end," according to coach Rob Bliss, got the stop to hold on."It's a very big win at this point in the season and it gets us back in the conference race," Bliss said. "The bottom line is that it's a marathon. We've got to make sure this isn't the end."Hutchinson didn't start, as he usually does, for the Falcons (8-8, 2-1 WAC). But the senior sparked West's rally from a 41-34 deficit when his offensive rebound resulted in a three-point play with 4:08 to play."That's an example of what quality kids these are," said Bliss. "I told him he wasn't going to start before the game and he said, 'Coach, I'm good with that. I understand.' I wanted to start Chris (Barbour) to get a little more pressure on their outside shooters."The Falcon pressure was so good that it held the Mustangs (15-1, 3-1) to a season-low point total. Colton Hunt came off the bench to score 18 points but was the lone Smoky Mountain player in double figures.West, meanwhile, hit nine 3-pointers. Corliss and Daniel Hyatt (12 points) hit four apiece."They did a nice job of fronting our post people," said Bliss "Our guards got a little stagnant getting the job inside and part of that was due to Smoky Mountain's ball pressure."Still, Smoky Mountain had a 43-42 lead and the ball with less than a minute to play. Corliss was fouled after rebounding Martin Davis' missed layup and hit two free throws to give West its first lead of the game.Dallas Ducote had six points and nine rebounds for West while helping to hold Mustang post players Cort Smith and Jackson Simmons to 11 points combined.The hot outside shooting was reminiscent of West's other upset win -- at T.C. Roberson -- of the season."We know we can play with anybody on a night when we play well," Corliss said.After taking down the No. 1 2-A team in the state, West will try to slow the state's leading scorer, Chris VanLandingham, on Friday at North Henderson.
SMOKY MOUNTAIN (43) -- Hunt 18, Davis 5, Brown 4, Fortner 4, Couley, Frazier, Smith 3, Simmons 8.WEST HENDERSON (46) -- Roberts, James, Corliss 18, Barbour, Staggs, Thomas 3, Hutchinson 7, Ducote 6, Hyatt 12.Halftime: Smoky, 24-18.
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