CORBIN — Playing against 2025 13th Region Player of the Year Maddox Huff, North Laurel junior Reece Davidson made his case for the same honor in 2026 with a clutch performance Saturday afternoon in the regional semifinals. Davidson, who scored a game-high 23 points, hit four of four shots in the fourth quarter as the Jaguars rallied from a nine-point deficit to knock off defending champ Harlan County 53-47 in overtime.
Davidson hit only two of nine shots over the first three quarters as both defenses were sharp but was at his best down the stretch as he scored on several possessions in a row to bring the Jaguars back.
“I thought Maddox did an excellent job on (Davidson). I asked him at halftime if he wanted me to take him off of him if it was wearing him down, but he said no,” Harlan County coach Kyle Jones said. “We played well enough to win. They switched defenses a lot from man to junk to zone. I thought we recognized it well, but we missed some shots we normally make. I’m sure they can say the same thing. The ball didn’t bounce our way, and sometimes it happens that way.”
Davidson’s basket with 2:28 left cut the HCHS lead to 44-42. After both teams missed opportunities to score, Harlan County’s Trent Cole hit one of two at the line for a three-point lead with 41.6 seconds left. Kole Jervis came up with the shot of the day with a corner 3 at the 10-second mark. Maddox Huff’s shot in the final seconds was knocked away by Davidson.
Cooper Elza’s 3 with 1:46 left in overtime put the Jaguars ahead to stay. Reggie Cottrell hit two free throws with 1:20 left to pull HC within one. Davidson hit one of two with 25.4 seconds left for a two-point lead. Huff’s 3 was off the mark, and North clinched the win with two free throws from Jervis, who stole the inbounds pass and added a final basket.
“They hit a huge shot to sent it to overtime, but we just made too many errors at critical times,” Jones said. “I made mental errors too. It wasn’t just the players. It was the coaches as well. One play didn’t cost us the game. It was a combination.”
Jervis and Elza added 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the 21-10 Jaguars, who won regional titles in 2022 and 2023 with Mr. Basketball Reed Sheppard leading the way.
Huff, an all-stater last season and this season’s region player of the year and a Mr. Basketball finalist, led the 25-9 Bears with 15 points. Jaycee Carter added 11. Cottrell and Brody Napier tossed in nine and eight points, respectively. All four players had key roles in the Bears’ run to a regional title and state runner-up finish last season.
“I’m very proud of this group. I love them,” Jones said. “I will miss being around these three seniors (Huff, Carter and Napier). They have meant so much to this program. We will really miss them next season.”
North Laurel will play the Pineville/South Laurel winner on Monday at 7 in the tournament finals.