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Harlan County turned the ball over 37 times and the visiting Whitley County Lady Colonels used a 26-13 outburst in the third quarter to claim a 70-58 victory in the season opener for HCHS on Friday.

Junior guard Natalie Moses powered Whitley County with 15 points. Junior guard Reis Anderson followed with 12, while Lindsey Shope and Kallie Housley scored 11 each.

Senior forward Morgan Blakley led the Lady Bears with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Jaylin Smith contributed 12 points.

Anderson and Housley each hit 3-pointers as Whitley took an 8-3 advantage. Blakley scored seven points and Smith had four as Harlan County cut the deficit to 19-18 after one quarter.

The Lady Bears turned the ball over 13 times in the opening period compared to eight for Whitley.

A trey by Anderson gave the Lady Colonels a 27-22 lead. Harlan County, led by four points from Blakley and a 3-pointer by Jaylin Preston, carried the team on a 9-0 run to lead 31-29 at halftime.

The Lady Bears had 21 turnovers in the first half.

The second half got under way with three ties at 31, 33 and 36. Anderson, Shope and Moses combined for seven points as the Lady Colonels took a 45-38 lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Whitley hit six of seven free throws to take a 55-44 advantage into the final quarter. HCHS got as close as seven in the final period.

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M. Douglas fired in 20 points and D. Anderson scored 16 as Whitley County defeated the Lady Bears 54-32 in the junior varsity game.

Taylor Lunsford led Harlan County with 11 points. Scarlett Rowe scored seven and Kylie Noe added six. Taytum Griffen and Hailey Austin had four points each.

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Whitley Co. 70, HCHS 58

WHITLEY COUNTY (1-0)

Lindsey Shope 4-11 2-3 11, Reis Anderson 3-18 4-5 12, Kallie Housley 4-13 2-5 11, Lindi Lawson 3-6 1-2 7, Dorian Siler 0-1 0-0 0, Natalie Moses 3-8 8-10 15, Katie Powers 0-1 0-4 0, Bailey Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Jaycie Monhollen 0-1 0-0 0, Darcie Anderson 2-2 1-1 6, Mikayla Wilder 3-3 2-4 8, Marissa Douglas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-66 20-33 70.

HARLAN COUNTY (0-1)

Hannah Wood 0-1 0-0 0, Kelly Beth Hoskins 1-5 3-4 5, Jaylin Smith 6-9 0-4 12, Morgan Blakley 9-14 9-13 29, Kassy Owens 1-6 5-6 7, Jaylin Preston 1-5 0-1 3, Dixie Ewing 0-0 2-3 2. Totals: 18-40 19-31 58.

Whitley County 19 10 26 15 — 70

Harlan County 18 13 13 14 — 58

3-point goals: Whitley County 6-31 (R. Anderson 2-9, D. Anderson 1-1, Moses 1-4, Housley 1-6, Shope 1-8, Lawson 0-1, Powers 0-1, Monhollen 0-1), Harlan County 3-12 (Blakley 2-3, Preston 1-5, Wood 0-1, Hoskins 0-3). Rebounds: Whitley County 32 (Shope 7), Harlan County 37 (Blakley 13, Hoskins 7, Preston 5, Owens 4, Smith 3, Ewing 3, Wood 2). Assists: Whitley County 7 (Housley, R. Anderson 2), Harlan County 11 (Smith 5). Turnovers: Whitley County 17, Harlan County 37.