An Enterprise Staff Report
Playing their third game in four nights, the Harlan Green Dragons stayed close most of the way against one of the 14th Region’s top teams Wednesday before falling 63-56 to visiting Hazard.
Senior guard Seth Caudill, the top-ranked player in the 14th Region, was the difference as he scored 24 points for the 16-8 Bulldogs. Trace Kincaid and Tucker Napier added 18 and 10 points, respectively. Tucker Johnson scored eight.
Sophomore center Kobe Noe scored 16 for the Dragons. Jaxson Perry and Legend Mimes added 14 and 11 points, respectively. Senior guard Dylan Cox sat out due to injuries suffered Monday against Knox Central.
Caudill had three baskets in the first quarter and Kincaid added two as the Bulldogs took an 18-13 lead after one quarter. Noe led the Dragons with six points.
Caudill added six more points in the second quarter, including four free throws, as Hazard led 34-127 at halftime.
Five more baskets by Caudill in the third quarter extended the lead to 50-41. Perry had six points in the quarter for Harlan while Mimes added five.
The Bulldogs hit six of 10 free throws in the fourth period to put the game away even though Harlan won the period 15-13.
“We had a few possessions on both ends we didn’t execute, but I have to do a better job in practice reinforcing those things,” Harlan coach Derrick Akal said.
Harlan (11-15) closes its regular season schedule Friday at home against Harlan County in a girls/boys district doubleheader.
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Hazard won 50-39 in junior varsity action as Darnell Sharpey led the Bulldogs with 15 points.
Eli Noe paced the 2-3 Dragons with 15 points. Braxton Rowe scored eight, followed by Nate Cochran with six, Dylan Collins with four, and Brody Brock, Caden Mefford and Brayden Lucas with two each.
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Hazard (63) — Talan Osborne 2, Trace Kincaid 16, Tucker Johnson 8, Seth Caudill 24, Tucker Napier 10, Javion Fullwood 3,
Harlan (56) — Ethan Huff 5, Jaxson Perry 14, Izack Saylor 9, Kobe Noe 16, Legend Mimes 11, Braxton Rowe 1.
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Hazard 18 16 16 13 — 63
Harlan 13 14 14 15 — 56
