Coach Gary Greer’s youth-laden Harlan County girls basketball team was no match Monday night at home against Johnson Central, dropping a 66-32 contest to the Lady Eagles.
With four seniors in its starting lineup, Johnson Central (6-0) used smothering defensive pressure to build a 41-16 lead, forcing the Lady Bears into 17 first-half turnovers.
After turning the ball over on its first five possessions, Harlan County led, 4-3 following a 3-point basket and a free throw by freshman Jaylee Cochran.
But Johnson Central finally began hitting its shooting stride, reeling off eight unanswered points to assume a lead it would not relinquish.
A pair of 3-point baskets by Johnson Central senior Kaylyn McKenzie helped push the lead to 21-11 after eight minutes, before the Lady Eagles turned it up another notch on defense during the second quarter.
Johnson Central scored 18 unanswered points to start the stanza, 10 of which came after turnovers by the Lady Bears. Harlan County was unable to score until a 3-point shot by eighth-grader Reagan Clem found the mark with 2:37 remaining until halftime.
The Lady Eagles opened the third quarter with an 11-2 scoring run, and Harlan County’s first basket from the field came from freshman Kylee Runions with 2:10 left on the scoreboard clock.
Both coaches substituted, freely for the balance of the game, with the Lady Bears featuring a group of middle school players on the floor together for a majority of the fourth quarter.
Clem, Cochran, Runions and 7th-grader Taylinn Napier each scored a team-high five points for Harlan County (1-5). Napier was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the third quarter.
Senior Adyson Burchett led a balanced Johnson Central scoring attack with a game-high 17 points. Freshman Karlea Stanley and senior Maddie Prater scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Harlan County is off until it travels Dec. 26 to Pineville to face Cumberland Gap, Tenn., in the Chain Rock Classic.

Johnson Central (66) — Burchett 17, Stanley 13, Slone 8, Prater 11, Marsillett 2, K. McKenzie 9, Blanton 2, Conley 2, E. McKenzie 2.
Harlan County (32) — Clem 5, Simpson 4, Cochran 5, Noe 3, Runions 5, Napier 5, Landa 2, Carr 2, Griffith 2.

Johnson Central 21 20 17 8 — 66
Harlan County 11 5 11 5 — 32