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What a difference 10 days make.
After suffering a disappointing loss to Middlesboro Jan. 14 in the championship game of the 13th Region All “A” Classic, the Harlan Lady Dragons responded with a decisive 74-49 win Friday night over the visiting Lady Jackets.
“It was a little personal,” Harlan coach Mackenzie Varner said. “When you get knocked out of the All ‘A’ it means a lot. They wanted to win this one a little more than some of the others.”
Seniors Aymanni Wynn and Kylie Noe led the offensive charge for Harlan, combining for 44 points. Wynn led all scorers with 26 points, while Noe collected her 2,000th career point during the first half of the rematch and finished with 18 points.
Harlan junior Cheyanne Rhymer finished with 14 points for the Lady Dragons and freshman Addison Campbell chipped in with 10 points.
As efficient and balanced as Harlan was at the offensive end, the Lady Dragons seemed to make more stops than an eight-sided red sign on the defensive end.
Harlan frustrated the Lady Jackets throughout the game with an extended 2-3 zone that helped limit high-scoring Middlesboro senior Keevi Betts to just 17 points. Betts scored 31 against Harlan in the All “A” Classic championship game.
“We used a different defensive plan, and we were intense,” Varner said after the game. “That’s what we lacked at Middlesboro. We had our hands in the passing lanes and that made all the difference for us. They came in and took care of business, and that’s all that I can ask of them.”
Wynn and Noe provided a 1-2 scoring punch from the outset Friday night, and a 9-0 first-quarter scoring run helped stake Harlan to a 15-11 lead after eight minutes.
Wynn and Rhymer combined for nine points during a 10-2 scoring spree by Harlan during the early stages of the second quarter to help the Lady Dragons build a double-digit lead, and Noe’s 2,000th point just before halftime made it 31-24 at the intermission.
Wynn scored the final 10 points of the third quarter to make it 52-31 heading into the final eight minutes, and Harlan led by as many as 29 points on two different occasions during the waning stages of the contest.
Next up for Harlan (10-10) is a home matchup Monday against North Laurel, while Middlesboro (10-6) travels Tuesday to Clay County.
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Harlan (74) — Kylie Noe 18, Aymanni Wynn 26, Peyshaunce Wynn 6, Cheyanne Rhymer 14, Addison Campbell 10.
Middlesboro (49) — Keevi Betts 17, Addyson Larew 2, Addyson Lucas 2, Emily Lambert 12, Trinity Derossett 5, Millie Roberts 7, Morgan Martin 4.

Middlesboro 11 13 7 18 — 49
Harlan 15 16 21 22 — 74