Anticipated as a showdown between two of the 13th Region’s top teams in the final week of the regular season, the Harlan Lady Dragons found themselves in the middle of a blowout Tuesday against visiting Corbin.
Harlan scored the game’s first seven points and never trailed, building a 17-point lead midway through the third quarter when Corbin coach Isaac Wilson took out his starters. The Lady Dragons coasted from there, rolling to a 74-32 victory in a suprisingly easy end to their regular season schedule.
The 18-12 Lady Dragons placed four in double figures, led by freshman guard Peyshaunce Wynn with 19 points and junior guard Cheyenne Rhymer with 18. Aymanni Wynn and Kylie Noe added 15 points each.
“I think that was the best game we’ve played all season. There’s no better time to do it than right before the postseason,” Harlan coach Mackenzie Varner said. “I think everybody who went in the game played well. That’s very reassuring for the future. Just the way our intensity remained the same the entire game is hopeful for the postseason.”
Sophomore guard Lydia King was the only Lady Hound in double figures with 10 points.
“It was a great win by Harlan. They kicked our rumps in all facets of the game,” said Corbin coach Isaac Wilson, who insisted he wasn’t trying to send a message by not calling any timeouts or taking out his starters early.
“It’s hard to send a message with the effort we put on the floor tonight,” he said. “At Corbin, we pride ourselves on competing. We didn’t compete tonight. It’s back to the drawing board.”
Corbin shot only 24 percent (11 of 46) from the field and missed 21 of 24 from beyond the 3-point line.
Harlan hit only five of 16 shots in the opening quarter but led the entire way, racing to a 7-0 lead and then a 13-2 advantage before Corbin fought back to pull within six, at 16-10, after one period.
Corbin got as close as three in the second quarter and trailed by five when Rhymer scored the final seven points of the half for a 30-18 lead at the break.
Harlan hit its first five shots in the second half as the lead grew to 41-22 when Wilson waived the white flag by taking out his starters at the 4:55 mark. Rhymer and Aymanni Wynn each had three baskets in the third quarter as the Lady Dragons built a 57-25 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Two straight Noe baskets to open the fourth quarter started a running clock.
Harlan will play Middlesboro on Feb. 24 in the first round of the 52nd District Tournament. The Lady Hounds travel to Bell County on Thursday to close their regular-season schedule.