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Owens scores 27, including her 1,000th, to lead HHS past Belfry

By John Henson

Contributing Sports Writer

Emma Owens has been a member of the Harlan High School basketball team so long that she missed playing with current Harlan coach Mackenzie King Varner by a few months.

In her six seasons with the Lady Dragons, Owens has had some big games and big weeks, but maybe none as big as the one that ended Saturday with a 78-57 win over visiting Belfry. Owens scored 15 points in a win last Tuesday over Williamsburg and then scored 20 against Middlesboro on Friday before capping it with 27 points against the Lady Pirates, reaching the 1,000-point plateau in the second quarter.

“I’m proud of Emma. She’s played three great games this week,” Varner said. “She does her job. She can get in the paint whenever she wants to and can knock down the 3s when she wants to.”

Much like the win over Middlesboro, Harlan won the game in the first quarter by forcing eight turnovers in building a 29-14 lead. Owens and Aymanni Wynn each had four baskets in the run, while Kylie Noe added three.

The Lady Dragons were unable to build on the lead as they played Belfry to a 17-17 tie in the second quarter and only outscored the Lady Pirates by two, at 15-13, in the third quarter.

“We’re still working on playing a full game of defense, but offensively there isn’t one doubt in my mind we can score the ball whenever we want to,” Varner said. “Improving our defense is our priority.”

Noe and Wynn added 19 and 16 points, respectively, to give Harlan three players in double figures. All three are also members of the 1,000-point club that Owens became the 21st member of on Saturday.

Senior center Jenna Sparks led Belfry with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Senior guard Jaaliyah Warren added 18 points.

Harlan (3-3) will play its next four games in Paintsville, taking on Johnson Central on Monday before playing in the City Between the Lakes Christmas Classic on Dec. 20-22 at Paintsville High School. Belfry (0-6) played host to Shelby Valley on Monday.

Fast start sends Lady Dragons past Middlesboro in district opener

With an offense built around a trio of players with over a decade of varsity experience as starters between them, the Harlan Lady Dragons and first-year coach Mackenzie King Varner are confident they can score with just about anyone.

Playing hard on the defensive end, Varner says, will be the difference this season for the Lady Dragons.

The Lady Dragons gave that defensive effort early in Friday’s district opener against visiting Middlesboro, forcing 10 turnovers in the opening period to build a 24-10 lead before coasting to a 69-51 victory.

“I think our defense is working for us. I think being able to get lots of stops will help us toward the end of the season and in the tournament,” Varner said. “We can score whenever we want to, but we have to be able to get stops.”

Senior point guard Emma Owens led the early surge, hitting five straight shots in the first quarter on the way to a 20-point night. Junior wings Aymanni Wynn and Kylie Noe added 17 points each.

Junior guard Keevi Betts was the only consistent offensive threat for the 2-4 Lady Jackets with 23 points.

The Harlan lead grew to 29-10 early in the second quarter on baskets by Noe and Owens, but the Lady Dragons’ offense fell silent for the remainder of the half. Betts reeled off seven straight points to cut the deficit to 12 before Peyshaunce Wynn’s three-point play to close the half made the score 32-17 at the break.

“We’re working on that. We have a habit of taking plays off,” Varner said. “We have to be able to play a full game and play every possession.”

Aymanni Wynn had two baskets while Noe, Owens, Addison Jackson and Peyshaunce Wynn added one each as the Harlan lead grew to 52-27 after three quarters. The Harlan defense came back to life, forcing the Lady Jackets into 10 turnovers while allowing only seven shot attempts.

Harlan appeared ready to start a running clock midway through the fourth quarter as the lead reached 34 twice on baskets by Noe and Owens, but Middlesboro responded with a 14-0 run sparked by a pair of 3-pointers from Emily Lambert.

Lady Lions hold off HCHS comeback to build on hot start

By Shane Shackleford

Contributing Sports Writer

The Pineville Lady Lions are one of the hottest teams in the 13th Region.

Pineville (5-0) registered a pair of big victories this week, downing Harlan County 49-45 on Friday.

The Lady Lions ran their win streak to five with a tight 49-45 victory over the Lady Bears.

Pineville was led again by their three-headed monster of Nadine Johnson with 20, Ava Arnett with 14, and Rachel Howard with 12.

Harlan County was led by senior guard Ella Karst’s 23 points. Whitley Teague added eight.

The game was a seesaw affair, with the Bears grabbing a 15-9 advantage early.

Pineville used a 16-4 second quarter to go ahead 25-19 at the half and outscored HC 16-10 in the third stanza to increase their advantage to 41-29. The Lady Bears fought back into the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lions 16-8 to make the final 49-45.

The Lady Lions take their perfect record on the road over the holidays, playing in the Smoky Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg. Their first game pits the Lady Lions against St. Joseph Central (W.Va.) on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.

Harlan County (2-5) begins play in the Redmond Auto Group Holiday Classic at Bell County on Dec. 20 against Bell County. The tip is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.