Council wins big. Clintwood falls hard.
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CLINCHCO ? It was a night for upsets and near-upsets.
Council's girls stunned Haysi, Ervinton's boys got its first win over Clintwood in nearly a decade and Council's boys gave Cobra fans two titles in one night with a late rally against a short-handed Haysi squad.
Stephanie Cornett's free throw with seven seconds remaining lifted Council to a 37-36 upset of Haysi in the girls finals of the Kiwanis Invitational Saturday night at Clinchco Elementary School.
In the boys finals, D.J. Barton's three-point play with three seconds remaining lifted Council past Haysi, 48-47 in Saturday's nightcap.
In the consolation games, Adam Kiser's free throw with 10 seconds left gave Ervinton a 55-54 win over Clintwood, while the Clintwood girls took third place with a 66-29 win over Ervinton.
Council opened the girls championship contest with a 15-5 run and never trailed. Amanda Bostic scored 11 of those 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and never scored again.
The Cobras managed to protect their lead with quickness and defense, and a couple of freshmen came off the bench to lead the way.
"If we're playing a zone, we turn to Amanda," Council coach Dave Rasnake said. "When we play against man (defense), we have to use our quickness.
"You have to take advantage of your strengths. Stephanie (Cornett) and Haley (Arrington) did a good job."
Cornett had three steals and three assists and combined with Arrington for nine points.
Haysi was just 5-of-25 from the floor in the first half, when Council built a 22-13 lead in the low-scoring contest. Whitney Compton scored nine of her game-high 12 points in the third period, when two free throws by the 6-foot-1 senior got the Tigers within 26-24.
Compton's free throw tied the score at 36-36 with 1:26 remaining. Council held the ball from the 1:16 mark to the seven second mark, when the Tigers fouled Cornett 25 feet from the basket.
Kristin Mullins led Clintwood with 21 points and Meagan Boyd scored 16 for Ervinton in the girls consolation game.
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Council 48, Haysi 47
Just hours removed from the football field, where Haysi lost to Giles in the state semifinals, only a handful of players who also play basketball were physically ready to suit up for the Tigers.
It didn't matter for the first 31 minutes, as Kevin Viers, Andrew Anderson and Justin Stanley led Haysi to a 20-6 run at the start. The Tigers maintained a lead, and held a 44-36 advantage with 3:52 remaining when Council started its 12-3 game-ending run.
"The charge that Daniel Lester took was the key," Council coach Neil Rasnake said. "It turned the game around. It seemed like the momentum swung our way after that."
Barton scored to get the Cobras within 47-45 with 15 seconds remaining. After a timeout with eight seconds left, Haysi turned the ball over under its own basket, setting up Barton's drive and free throw.
Haysi, which played without three possible starters, could only manage a desperation halfcourt shot at the buzzer.
Viers scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the first half. Anderson and Stanley combined for 17 points. Anderson also had eight rebounds and four blocks.
Barton tossed in 14 of his 18 in the second half. Caleb Epling was also in double figures for the Cobras with 15 points.
Adam Kiser led Ervinton's boys with 19 points. Evan Vanover paced Clintwood with 21 points.
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