Playing the final home game of their high school basketball career, Harlan County seniors Reggie Cottrell, Brennan Blevins and Kayden Hensley went out with a 68-53 win Thursday over Pineville. The Bears trailed only once at 2-0 and built their advantage to as many as 27 points before turning the game over to the reserves over the final six minutes.
All three seniors reached the scoring column with Cottrell and Blevins tying for the team lead with 16 points, Junior guard Trent Cole added 11 points as the Bears improved to 16-9 with four road games left, beginning Friday at Harlan.
“We played really hard the first half. We were out of position a little at times and Pineville was playing a slow pace,” Harlan County coach Kyle Jones said. “I’m pleased and happy for those guys. They have got to experience more than 99 percent of the people who have played basketball in the history of Harlan County. They’ve got to experience a lot, and I’m super proud of them. They are all great kids. But we’re not done. We know we have a big district game tomorrow at Harlan. We have to be ready to go.”
Both the Black Bears and Mountain Lions were regional semifinalists a year ago, but the Lions lost all five starters to graduation and had the biggest rebuilding job in the region this season. The Lions struggled to hit shots through the first three quarters, shooting 27 percent (nine of 33) before heating up in the fourth quarter to outscore HC 22-13.
“We were a little undermanned with Noah Slone out and pretty beaten up, but I was proud of our fight,” Pineville coach Brad Levy said. “Harlan County is a good team and program and I have a lot of respect for them and for coach Jones. We didn’t shoot it great until toward the end. Our goal right now is to stay as healthy as we can. I’m proud of the way our kids have hung together. We are really young and inexperienced, but we’re getting lessons on the fly. I feel we’ve come a long way since December.”
Sophomore guard Preston Zachery and sophomore forward Jacob Grubbs led the 11-14 Lions with 15 points each.
Blevins and Cottrell each had three baskets and Cole added two as the Bears forced six turnovers on the way to building a 20-9 lead after one quarter.
All six HC baskets in the second quarter were 3-pointers, led by two from Landon Brock, to push its lead to 38-20.
Blevins, who hit eight of 11 shots, had three baskets in the third quarter as the Bears’ advantage grew to 55-31. A Hensley 3 and basket by Cole made the score 60-33 with six minutes left.
Grubbs hit four of four shots in the fourth quarter, including three 3s, as the Lions closed strong by hitting eight of 13 shots in the period.
Harlan County travels to Harlan on Friday for a girls/boys district doubleheader. Pineville is at home against Casey County on Friday.
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Sophomore center Tucker Curtis scored 15 points and sophomore guard Hayden Grace added 10 as Harlan County won 53-31 in junior varsity action.
Tyhler Coots added eight points for the 5-7 Bears. Rydge Lewis contributed seven. Easton Engle chipped in with five, and Trey Creech tossed in three. Hudson Faulkner and Bentley Alred added two each. Blake Johnson scored one.
Brody Fugate and Brennan Lambert led the Lions with 10 points each. Kyson Thompson scored six. Eli Knuckles tossed in three. Eli McDermott added two.