Photo by Chrissie Brassfield Harlan County senior guard Reggie Cottrell worked inside for two of his 21 points Tuesday in scrimmage against Perry Central. The Commodored edged HCHS 54-48. Cottrell scored 20 in the Bears' 62-42 win over Knott Central earlier in the day.

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Facing two of the 14th Region’s top teams, the Harlan County Black Bears split varsity scrimmages on Tuesday at HCHS with a 62-42 win over Knott Central and a 54-48 loss to Perry Central. It was the first summer loss for the Bears in five scrimmages.
Senior guard Reggie Cottrell scored 20 points to lead the Bears against Knott. Kaden Jones added 10, while Trent Cole and Hayden Grace tossed in nine each. Brennan Blevins scored six. Tucker Curtis tossed in four, Brady Smith and Landon Brock chipped in with two each.
Knott took an early lead before HCHS reeled off 10 straight points on three baskets by Cottrell and a 3 from Grace to go up 19-9 after one quarter.
Knott cut the lead to 27-18 at halftime before Cottrell took over in the third quarter with 10 points as the Bears extended their advantage to 49-31.
Perry took an early 15-6 lead before Harlan County reeled off 11 unanswered points led by two 3s each from Cole and Cottrell to go up 17-15 after one quarter. Cottrell scored nine of 13 points in the second quarter as HCHS took a 30-26 lead into the break.
Perry moved out to a 42-42 lead after three quarters. The lead changed hands several times in the fourth period with Cole and Jones each putting the Bears up down the stretch before Perry scored the final four points to pull away.
Cottrell scored 21 and Cole added 14 to lead the Bears, who defeated Perry a night earlier at Pulaski Southwestern. Jones tossed in nine points. Smith and Curtis scored two each.
Grace, a sophomore guard, spoured in 23 points as Harlan County defeated Knott Central 49-43 in junior varsity action. Bryson Bryant added 11, followed by Easton Engle with nine points, Thyler Coots with four and Hudson Faulkner with two.
Harlan County rallied from a nine-point deficit going into the fourth quarter against Perry before falling 36-34 in overtime.
Grace led the Bears with 13 points. Faulkner and Engle added seven and six points, respectively. Coots scored four. Bryant and Trey Creech added two each.
Pineville fell 82-47 to Knott Central and 69-38 to Perry Central in other varsity scrimmages. Pineville defeated Knott Central 46-40 and fell 50-30 to Perry Central in junior varsity scrimmages.
The Black Bears defeated Perry Central 59-47 and Southwestern 63-55 in varsity action at Southwestern. Harlan County fell to Southwestern in junior varsity action. No scoring information was available.
Harlan County returns to action Thursday at Whitley County.