With 12 years of high school basketball between them, Harlan’s Aymanni Wynn and Kylie Noe provide a rare level of experience. The Lady Dragons needed all of it when visiting Harlan County stormed from 12 points down to take a one-point lead with three minutes left in Thursday’s district clash. Harlan responded to the Lady Bears’ 17-4 run with a 10-1 spurt of their own to close out a 56-48 victory.
Wynn’s two free throws put Harlan back on top to stay with 2:26 left after Jaycee Simpson had given HC its only lead of the night a few seconds earlier. Peyshaunce Wynn, who finished with 16 points, and Cheyenne Rhymer, who scored 14, teamed for the final eight points of the night. Aymanni Wynn scored 15 for the 7-6 Lady Dragons
“I think we were getting ahead of ourselves instead of playing under control,” Harlan coach Mackenzie Varner said. “We were taking some questionable shots. Defensively, we lost a little of our intensity before we got It back at the end. I think have two very experienced players who know how to take over a game helps. We’ve not had a lot of close games this year. This should help us.”
Freshman guard Jaylee Cochran scored 15 to lead the 3-10 Lady Bears. Eighth-grade guards Jaycee Simpson and Reagan Clem added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“I’m proud of them. We never gave up and fought till the end,” Harlan County coach Gary Greer said, “We finally started running our offense. We ran the floor, and our spacing was excellent the second half. The first half we were overpenetrating and dribbling the second half. The second we started running our stuff and clicking.”
Harlan dominated much of the first three quarters by simply being more physical on defense and on the boards, HCHS finished with only four baskets inside the 3-point circle as Noe and Wynn rejected or changed numerous shots around the basket.
“That was our gameplan going in. We thought we had an advantage in the post with the size difference between us and Harlan County,” Varner said.
“I’m not into moral victories, but I’m proud of them against a good Harlan team,” Greer said. “They have two of the top 10 players in the region, and Peyshaunce has been playing very well the last several games. We had our chances but missed some free throws down the stretch. I think that could have made a difference. We still have to grow up more, but we did some good things the second half., I thought this was Lacey Robinson’s best games. She went to war down there even though she was giving up some size. I thought they all played hard the second half. We’ll go back to work and put this thing together.”
Harlan plays at Knox Central on Saturday. Harlan County plays host to Whitley County on Monday in the first round of the 2A Sectional.