Green Dragons win streak halted at 9
Published 3:18 pm Thursday, December 29, 2022
- - Photo courtesy of Harlan Independent Schools Facebook page.
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By Paul Lunsford
Contributing Writer
A nine-game winning streak to start the season has ended for the Harlan Green Dragons.
Harlan fell to the host Panthers in the Pikeville Invitational Tournament on Thursday, losing 76-63.
Senior guard Rylee Samons powered the 5-2 Panthers with 29 points. Junior guard Eli Johnson scored 22. Charlie Fitzer, a junior center, added 12
The Green Dragons were led by junior guard Kyler McLendon with 23 points. Senior forward Jaedyn Gist tossed in 14 points. Kaleb McLendon scored nine and Dylan Cox had six.
Harlan also got five points from Will Austin, three points from Connor Daniels and one by Trenton Cole.
Johnson scored eight for the Panthers and Kaleb McLendon had eight for Harlan as Pikeville took a 22-19 advantage after one quarter.
Pikeville outscored the Dragons 20-11 in the second period as Johnson and Sammons each tallied seven apiece.
The Panthers led 42-30 at halftime.
Sammons put up nine points in the third quarter as Pikeville entered the final period leading 56-44.
The Green Dragons (10-1) defeated Bishop Brossart in the first round of the Dan Swartz Classic in Bath County. They play Frederick Douglass on Thursday.
HHS defeats Bracken
Kyler McLendon was one of five Green Dragons in double figures as he scored 27 points to lead Harlan last Bracken County 83-67 in the semifinals of the Pikeville Invitational last Wednesday.
Jaedyn Gist poured in 19 points, followed by Kaleb McLendon with 15 and Cole with 10. Will Austin added eight points. Matthew Pennington scored two.
Gist opened the game with nine first-quarter points as the Dragons led 16-6 after eight minutes.
Harlan took a 31-26 lead into the break and ahead 59-53 after the third period.
The Dragons put the Polar Bears away in the final quarter with a 24-14 scoring outburst.
Kyler McLendon scored nine points and Cole nailed a pair of 3-pointers.
Junior guard Blake Reed paced Bracken County with 25 points. Devante Jefferson, also a junior guard, poured in 16. Cayden Reed and Chase Archibald each added 10.
The Polar Bears, now 9-2 on the season, claimed a 79-68 win over Perry Central for third place in the tourney.
Ashland Blazer took fifth place and Lexington Dunbar placed seventh.
