When the Harlan Lady Dragons needed points, Kylie Noe was there with 32 on 15-of-20 shooting.
When the Lady Dragons needed rebounds, Noe was there for eight and teamed with Aymanni Wynn to help the Lady Dragons own a 35-21 advantage.
When the Lady Dragons needed help handling the basketball after visiting Pineville had cut a 15-point deficit to one on Thursday, Noe was there to bring the ball down the court and help Harlan hold off the comeback for a 70-66 win over one of the 13th Region’s hottest teams.
“She doesn’t want to bring the ball up the court, but she did it today and that was a big part of us getting the win,” Harlan coach Mackenzie King Varner said. “We were very aggressive on the boards. Even Peyshaunce (Wynn) and Emma (Owens) got in there. That was a big part of our win today.”
Harlan’s big three teamed for 68 of 70 points as Wynn scored 21 and Emma Owens added 18.
Senior guard Nadine Johnson led the Lady Lions with 33 points. Rachel Howard and Ava Arnett chipped in with 17 and 11 points, respectively.
Pineville (19-5) is in the midst of perhaps the best season in school history and was coming off a big win two nights earlier over visiting South Laurel, but the Lady Lions could not match the physicality of Harlan as the Lady Dragons owned the glass and pounded the ball inside time and time again to Noe and Wynn.
“It was a good win for us,” Varner said. “We started off really good in the first half. It wasn’t that we didn’t play well the second half, but Pineville just turned it on.”
Elgie Green, the Pineville coach, declined comment after the game.
The Lady Dragons hit eight of 15 shots in the first quarter, including four baskets each by Noe and Wynn, to take an 18-9 lead.
Harlan hit seven of 11 shots in the second quarter, including four-of-four shooting by Noe, to extend their lead to 37-22 by halftime. Pineville hit only five of 20 shots in the period.
After struggling to get into transition in the first half, the Lady Lions finally started to force turnovers in the third quarter and battled back. Johnson hit six of eight shots, including several off steals, as Pineville outscored Harlan 28-15 to pull within two after three quarters.
Pineville got as close as one with 6:42 left when Howard hit one of two at the line. A three-point play by Owens slowed the Lady Lions’ momentum, then Noe took over as she hit five of six shots in the period and helped solve the Pineville press by taking over some of the ball-handling duties.
Harlan (15-12) will play host to McCreary Central in a 2 p.m. game on Saturday. Pineville will be at home against Danville Christian on Saturday at 4:30.