CORBIN — 13th Region favorite Harlan County kept its championship hopes alive, surviving upset-minded South Laurel in a first round battle that saw the Black Bears survive a 38-34 scare.
It looked as if the Cardinals were going to pull off the upset after a 3-pointer by Colton Rawlings gave his team a 30-26 lead with 7:11 remaining in the game.
The Black Bears locked down on defense and didn’t allow South Laurel another field goal until the 8.9 second mark, thanks to a 3-pointer by Jordan Mabe.
The Cardinals stole the ensuing inbound pass but misfired on the go ahead 3-pointer, as Harlan County survived and advanced.
The Black Bears finished the game hitting 12-of-35 shot attempts, including a 3-of-10 effort from behind the arc. They outrebounded South Laurel, 29-19, and recorded five steals.
Noah led Harlan County (29-4) with 18 points and 11 rebounds while Huff added 10 points and five boards.
The Cardinals (19-11) finished 13-of-38 from the floor while hitting 3-of-14 shot attempts from 3-point range.
Mabe led South Laurel with 14 points and six rebounds while Colton Rawlings had eight points and six rebounds.
Both teams had a feeling out process in the first quarter with the lead exchanging hands a couple of times before Trent Noah added three points thanks to an old-fashioned 3-point play while Maddox Huff connected with a one-hander at the buzzer to give the Black Bears a 12-7 lead.
Jordan Mabe had five points in the opening quarter for South Laurel while Huff led Harlan County with seven points while Noah added five points.
The defensive battle carried over into the second quarter with the Cardinals scoring four points to cut their deficit to 12-11 before a basket by Noah increased Harlan County’s lead to 14-11 with 3:07 remaining in the first half.
A free throw by Brody Napier pushed the Black Bears’ lead to 15-11 at the 2:34 mark, but free throws by Jordan Steele and Colton Rawlings allowed South Laurel close the first half out with a 4-0 run while tying the game at 15 apiece during the process.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half. Harlan County hit 6-of-17 from the floor, including a 1-of-5 effort from 3-point range while the Cardinals were 5-of-17, including a 1-of-6 effort behind the arc.
Maddox Huff led Harlan County with seven points in the first half while Trent Noah had six points.
Jordan Mabe’s seven points led South Laurel while Jordan Steele delivered four points.
The game remained nip and tuck in the third quarter but a 3-pointer by Trent Noah gave the Black Bears a little breathing room with a 24-21 lead at the 2:32 mark.
The Black Bears led 26-23 with 1:35 left before South Laurel closed the quarter out with baskets from Jordan and Josh Steele to take a 27-26 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals opened the final quarter with a 3-pointer by Colton Rawlings, pushing South Laurel’s lead to 30-26, but a 3-pointer by Jaycee Carter at the 6:55 mark brought Harlan County to within one point at 30-29.
The Black Bears took the lead for good with 5:40 remaining after two free throws by Trent Noah. Trent Noah added another free throw with 4:09 left to push his team’s lead to 32-30, and his basket with 2:31 remaining gave Harlan County a 34-30 advantage.
