NYSPHSAA BOYS' BASKETBALL: CORNING ADVANCES TO FIRST FINAL FOUR IN PROGRAM HISTORY (24 PHOTOS) (March 15, 2026)

BY BRIAN FEES
Southern Tier Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — Nolyn Proudfoot rarely ever misses a free throw, but with 1.8 seconds left he saw his free throw bounce off the rim. 

After that Proudfoot did what stars do. He never missed again.

The Corning sophomore hit the second free throw to tie the game and sent it to overtime. He then hit a three and went 8-for-8 from the free throw line in overtime, for 11 points in the four minute extra peirod, to lead Corning to a 72-64 win over William Floyd and their first ever trip to the state final four.

“I knew either way I was going to make one, but I should have made both, I work on that every day,” Proudfoot said. “Credit to my mom, all week we were working on our free throws. When I missed that I told, I think it was him (Kohl Hogue), I have got to get it done.”

For the game the 90% free throw shooter went 17-for-18 from the line and 10-for-19 from the field. He had 40 points and a huge 21 rebounds in the win. 

Proudfoot’s mom is Missy (DeClemente) Proudfoot, an all-state guard at Corning West who helped the Vikings win the 1995 Class B state title. 

For Proudfoot he’s proud of how he’s grown as a player and can keep his compsure even when things aren’t going perfectly.

“I have been priding myself a lot,” Proudfoot said. “In the past couple years I got in my head. But, I tried to keep myself level headed and I think I did a really good job and everyone else did too.”

Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. needled his star player about the one missed free throw, but he knows there is no one he’d rather have with the ball in his hands.

“I was busting his chops and I said, ‘You’re 17-for-18 at the line. That’s tremendous. The one you missed is the one that would have won it in regulation.’ He’s like, ‘Aah, coach.’

“But, we had the ball in the right guy’s hands. He and his brother (Carter) are pretty good free-throw shooters. And Kohl (Hogue) made two huge free throws down the stretch as well to kind of spread the margain.”

It’s now onto the final four for the Hawks.

“Amazing feeling, best feeling ever,” Proudfoot said. “Last year we were happy to be there, this year we expect to win it.”

“I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else,” Hogue said. “I love this team so much.”

Proudfoot scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Hawks get the game into overtime.

William Floyd had led by 11, but a Teigen Gill three, his only points of the game, cut the deficit to four.

“He’s so unselfish and such a team player,” Johnston Jr. said. “He doesn’t get a lot of credit and he deserves it, because he gets guys where they need to be. He’s like a coach on the floor, and he defends like crazy. He’s usually playing the opposing team’s best player.”

Corning had no three pointers through the first three quarters, before Proudfoot got the Hawks going in the fourth with a three. Corning hit five threes between the fourth quarter and overtime.

“They had momentum most of the game,” Proudfoot said. “I feel like the big shot I hit pushed the momentum. It was kind of back and forth. But in the end, we made our free thrwos and that’s what we did.” 

In the overtime period the all-state standout took over. William Floyd scored first, before Proudfoot hit a three pointer 58 seconds into the overtime period to give the Hawks a 62-61 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. 

Hogue got a steal and was fouled with 18 seconds left, hitting both free throws to push the lead to six and seal the win.

Carter Proudfoot and Kyler Stevenson each had 11 points for the Hawks and Hogue had six points .Teigen Gill had three points and Joe Fucito had a point. Hogue had three boards and Nolyn Proudfoot had three assists and two steals, while Stevenson had two boards, two steals and an assist. 

Nolyn and his brother Carter hit back-to-back threes that tied the game at 56 and Kyler Stevenson scored to give the Hawks a 58-56 lead, their first since early in the game. 

After the Carter Proudfoot three and the Stevenson layup the arena erupted as the Hawks fans came to life, led by Carter who let out huge screams of joy.

“I was telling one of the guys, he’s crazy, that’s what he does,” Nolyn said of his brother.

William Floyd got a big three by JJ Smith with 1:04 left to go back up one at 59-58. That’s how the game stayed until Nolyn tied it with the final second free throw.

Smith led William Floyd with 22 points and Sharod Sutton had 20. 

Hogue talked about how the Hawks mixed things up and played some zone in overtime and it helped throw off William Floyd.

“We threw some different things at them and I felt like it made them stand around,” Nolyn Proudfoot said. 

For Corning it was a strong effort all night.

“I’m really happy for the kids, really resilient,” Johnston Jr. said. “We got down double-digits and they kept clawing and fighthing back. We took care of the ball and had some guys make some big shots for us in the last four minutes and we were solid at the free-throw line.”

Corning was 25-for-31 from the foul line in the game.

Free throws were crucial for both teams in the game. With William Floyd leading by one with 20 seconds left the Hawks fouled William Floyd, who missed both free throws. William Floyd missed two more free throws in overtime. William Floyd was 0-for-5 from the line in the fourth quarter and overtime. They were 3-for-9 from the line in the game.

Notre Dame will play Section 5 champion Fairport at 1:30 p.m. on Friday at Visions Arena in the state semifinals. The two teams are a combined 43-2 on the year.

“It’s something special, but we earned it,” Hogue said. “We worked every day, we came to practice hard, prepared. We kenw coming in here we’re just as good as any team out there and we played like it. We’re going to the final four.”

Corning had 26 first-half points, but scored 23 in the fourth and 46 points in the second half and overtie.

“That isn’t even our best showing in the first half,” Hogue said. “We scored 26 points and came back in teh second half and scored 50 (46) which is unbelievable.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:



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