Hampton, No. 5 Indians fight back to down Corinth
Feb. 26—FULTON — Keondra Hampton has a knack for coming through in the clutch when his team needs him most.
The senior point guard seized the momentum of the game early in the fourth quarter to lead No. 5-ranked Itawamba AHS to a 54-52 win over Corinth on Thursday night in the second-round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
IAHS (21-5) broke a 15-game losing streak to Corinth (14-8) and will visit Division 2-4A rival Shannon on Saturday in the third round.
Hampton was the engine behind an 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter, scoring eight points and assisting on a Caden Prestage 3-pointer as the Indians built a seven-point lead with under five minutes left. Hampton finished with a game-high 20 points, with five assists and five rebounds.
"I've said it once, and I'll say it again, Keondra Hampton is a special kid," IAHS head coach Daryl Wilson said. "He's the definition of a winner."
Corinth caught fire from 3-point range in the third quarter. IAHS led the entire game up until 3:17 mark of the third, where the Warriors ended an 11-0 run for a 32-31 lead.
Senior point guard Will Crawford was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc in the period, and he scored all 13 of his points in the quarter, capped by a buzzer-beating three for Corinth's largest lead at 43-39.
"We made the run in the third to get the lead and then went cold in the fourth," Corinth coach Keith Greene said. "We had two spells tonight where we went three or four minutes not getting a bucket, and you can't have cold spells that long in a game this big."
Corinth had a chance to tie or take the lead with a last-second shot, but Crawford's 3-point attempt fell short into the arms of Cayden Betts, who was tied up by Issac Smith as the buzzer sounded.
Kito Windham led the Warriors with 14 points.
Three-Pointers
Turning Point: Corinth got within two points twice late in the fourth, each time answered with a bucket from Arvesta Troupe.
Point Maker: Troupe finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, shooting 8 of 12 from the field.
Talking Point: "The group I have this year is a special group." — Wilson
