By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports Report
JOHNSON CITY — Nolyn Proudfoot dribbled around his defender, pulled up and elevated on a 15-foot jumper.
As the ball swished through the net history had been made as the Corning freshman became the youngest boy in Section IV history, and first freshman, to score his 1,000th career point.
The Corning standout has been starting on varsity since 7th grade, earning all-state honors as an eighth-grader a year ago and leading the area in scoring this year.
“It’s great,” Proudfoot said. “I have been here for a while. I couldn’t do it without my teammates. They are the ones who find me all the time. Kyler (Stevenson), we have all these guys who can knock down shots, which is creating opportunities for me, it’s a great feeling.”
While it was a history making day for the Corning freshman, it was his brother, Carter, a sophomore, who hit the game winner, making a pair of free throws with 1.7 seconds left to lift the Hawks to an 83-81 win over Johnson City.
The free throws came after Nolyn Proudfoot left the game with an injury on a drive into traffic in the third quarter. After that Johnson City erased a double-digit deficit, eventually taking a two-point lead in the final minutes.
“We were struggling to put the ball in the hoop and I think I just had to do what I had to do to help my team win,” Carter said. “It wasn’t just one person today, we had other pepole scoring and playing as a team. We lost Nolyn, which was a key factor to our team. I think having other people step up and we were able to put the ball in the hoop. My game-winning free throws were kind ofa. little thing to win, but it takes a whole team to win.”
Nolyn came into the game needing 10 points to reach 1,000. He hit a three to start the scoring and he finished Thursday with 13 points, exiting early in the third quarter. He was 6-for-11 from the field and had seven rebounds and an assist.
For Nolyn getting 1,000 points this early in his career wasn’t something he was sure was something he would accomplish.
“Before the season I didn’t think I would get it, because teams key on me, but I still got the job done,” he said. “My teammates finding me, I put in a lot of work.”
While no one in Section IV has scored 1,000 as a freshman before, Proudfoot does have AAU teammates who have.
“I only know a few other people (who have scored 1,000 as a freshman),” Proudfoot said. “I just have to keep my head down and keep working, onto the next day. That’s what’s most important next game.
“I know a couple guys from Albany I play with on my AAU team, really good guys. One guy, his name is Semaj (Cuyler of North Warren Central), he got it early in the season, 1,000 points. I’m really excited I got this.”
On the same day Proudfoot scored his 1,000th career point, Binghamton’s Zubayr Griffin scored his 2,000th career point, becoming the third Section IV player to reach the milestone.
For Nolyn Proudfoot 2,000 is the next number he’d love to reach.
“I hope so, just got to keep working,” he said.
After Nolyn left the game, Johnston City started to fight back and had a two-point lead and the ball with just over a minute left.
“I knew we would pull through,” Nolyn said. “We went through it with Horseheads. We are great at winning time.”
Johnson City had the ball, but Kyler Stevenson poked the ball free, got the steal and was fouled.
Stevenson made one free throw, missing the second, but Jeremy Spears grabbed the board and kicked it out for a three that was missed.
With the ball Johnson City’s Felix Morales was fouled and went to the line, making one of two to put Johnson City up two.
Stevenson was fouled on the rebound after the second miss and he made one of two free throws to make it 80-79, before Stevenson got a rebound and a put back to give Corning the lead by one.
Owen Johnson hit one of two free throws for Johnson City to tie the game, and Carter raced down the court with the ball, drawing a foul and sending him to the line where he calmly knocked down the two free throws as the Johnson City student section got loud to try and distract him.
“I just block them out,” Carter said. “They are obviously saying it because they want us to lose, but we just play as a team and ignore it.”
For Carter it was kind of fun being on the line with the game in the balance.
“It’s kind of nice to know you kind of helped close it out,” Carter said.
Nolyn never had a doublt his brother would make the big shots.
“he’s always bringing out something crazy,” Nolyn said. “They call him clutch Carter. “I knew he was going to knock them down, super proud of him. In the clutch I always trust Carter.”
When Nolyn got his 1,000th point in the first half, it was his brother who gave him a big hug.
“He was there for my first points, he got a big mark,” Carter said. “I had a big moment and he came to me and hugged me so I saw him get 1,000 and I just throught pay it back to him and give him a big old hug.”
For Nolyn it was special sharing the moment with his brotther, who had his own career high with 17 in the win.
“He’s a really tough guy, he’s going to be going for it (1,000) next,” Nolyn said. “Onto the next game.”
Stevenson had a career-high 32 points to lead Corning. He was 12-for-16 from the field and had seven boards, two asteals and an assist.
Carter had his career-best with 17 points, going 8-for-9 from the free throw line. He had five boards, an assist and a steal.
Kohl Hogue and Makai Daniels had eight points each. Hogue had two boards, two assists and a steal and Daniels had four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Spears had five points and seven rebounds, with an assist and Teigen Gill had three assists and a rebound.
Morales had 27 points with seven boards to lead Johnson City and Fenesse Morales and Keon Saintilien had 16 points each.
A 1,000-point milestone for one brother, and game-winning free throws for the other made this a day the Proudfoot boys will never forget.
“i will remember this forever, with my brother, always,” Nolyn said.
Corning will play in the STAC semifinals at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday at Seton Catholic.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:
