Blanche Ely refuses to slow down, grinds out ninth state boys' basketball championship

Miami Herald

08-03-2025

Blanche Ely boys' basketball fans patiently waited for six years to see their favorite team return to the top.
The Tigers, a team whose strength is playing at an up-tempo pace at both ends of the court, also had to be patient and capitalize on opportunities against a Ponte Vedra squad that made it a point to slow them down.
Ely would not be denied on Friday night, speeding the game back up in the second half and grinding out a 44-38 victory in the Class 5A state championship game at the RP Funding Center.
'Our bread and butter is to create turnovers and create easy baskets,' Ely coach J.R. McNabb said. 'We just had to be patient and get quality shots. We were launching so many long threes where we were not able to get secondary rebounds. Once we settled down, we knew it would be a grueling game and it would just come down to 50-50 balls and the will to win.'
The Tigers (20-9) added to their rich tradition by winning their ninth state championship, which is the most for a Broward County school and ranks fourth all-time in the state behind Miami High (19), Malone (14) and Orlando Christian Prep (10).
It is their first since 2019 when they won the last of seven titles under former coach Melvin Randall. Ely became the first Broward school to win state titles with three different coaches, having won its first in 1993 under Wade Edmond and this one under McNabb's leadership.
After six years away, it was as if the Tigers never left as they won their 16th consecutive game at the final four.
'They've been begging us to do this for three or four years,' said junior forward Kaleb Corbitt, who led the Tigers with 19 points. 'We just had to do it.'
It was a struggle at first for Ely just to get points.
Ponte Vedra sat in a 2-3 zone on defense, denying them access to the rim and slowing things down to a half-court game, daring the Tigers to shoot.
Ely scored just five points in the first quarter and 12 in the first half, shooting 5 for 23 from the field and 1 for 13 from 3-point range.
The Tigers adjusted in the second half and began applying full court or three-quarters court pressure to force turnovers and prompt fast break chances.
Led by Corbitt, who finished with a team-high 19 points, Ely outscored the Sharks 19-10 in the third quarter, shooting 8 for 14 including 2 for 5 from 3-point range. Dylon Hanna, who also struggled shooting 1 for 9 from 3-point range and finished with eight points, hit his lone triple at a key time during that third quarter turnaround.
'It's all about fundamentals,' Corbitt said. 'When they were in the 2-3, I just said to get me the ball.'
Ponte Vedra (22-9), which lost in the state final for the third time in the past four seasons, battled back and cut Ely's lead to 37-35 with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter after a four-point play by Maddox Palmer - the game's high scorer with 20 points.
This was where Ely turned the tables and showed patience by slowing down each possession and forcing the Sharks to foul.
Corbitt, who went 7 for 8 from the free throw line, was clutch down the stretch as he went 6 for 6 in the game's final two minutes.
'When I'm in the gym, I envision being on this stage right here,' Corbitt said. 'So when I was here (at the free throw line), I just envisioned being back at the gym and the crowd didn't get to me, the players didn't get to me, the occasion didn't get to me. I just shoot free throws and that's it.'
Ely's triumph was truly a family affair, which made the celebration of the title even more special.
McNabb, who had previously coached the Tigers' girls' squad before this season, has his brother, Kelvin, on his staff. McNabb also coached his son, Jayden, a senior guard who finished with eight points Friday, and his nephew, Tyrese Lucas, a senior reserve guard.
Corbitt and his brother, Jordan, a sophomore guard, were key contributors to the Tigers' title run. Their sister, Gianna, was a former All-State first team player on the girls' squad who is now a freshman at the University of Chattanooga.
'I've been part of the Corbitt's lives since the fourth grade,' J.R. McNabb said. 'I'm just so happy for them and even more so because of the adversity they've gone through in their high school careers. It's special. It's really special.'