OWINGSVILLE — Ranked 18th in the state earlier in the month by the Louisville Courier Journal, the Harlan County Black Bears took care of business Saturday in their opening scrimmage at Bath County High School as part of the Dan Swartz Jamboree.
Harlan County won all four quarters on the way to a 76-43 victory over the host Wildcats, who finished 16-14 a year ago as the seventh-ranked team in the 16th Region.
Senior guard Trent Noah, an all-stater each of the past two years and the state’s fourth-ranked player this year by the Courier Journal, scored 31points to lead the Bears. Junior guard Maddox Huff added 18 points. Reggie Cottrell tossed in eight, followed by Caleb Johnson with six, Cole Cornett with five, Jaycee Carter with four and Brody Napier and Brennan Blevins with two each.
Noah scored 10 points in the opening quarter as the Bears outscored Bath 21-4. Noah and Huff teamed for all 18 points in the second period as the Bears won the quarter 18-13. Noah had nine points in the third quarter and Cottrell added six as the Bears won 21-14 in the third period. Huff and Cornett each scored five In a fourth period won 16-12 by the Bears.
Harlan County plays its second and final scrimmage on Saturday at South Laurel against Danville Christian.
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Led by freshman guards Cole Cornett and Gunnar Johnson with 18 and 11 points, respectively, the Black Bears claimed a 42-31 junior varsity victory.
Cornett scored 10 points in the opening quarter as HCHS outscored Bath 15-2. Cornett and Brennan Blevins each hit 3-pointers in a 10-0 run to start the scrimmage.
Bath outscored Harlan County 10-2 in the second quarter and 15-13 in the third, despite nine points from Johnson. Cornett scored six in the final quarter as the Bears won the period 12-6.
Blevins added five points for the Bears, while Bryson Bryant scored four. Brady Freeman and Shemar Carr scored two each.