HHS shoots down All ‘A’ hangover in rout

Published 8:30 pm Thursday, January 24, 2019

PINEVILLE — One week after suffering a heartbreaking last-second loss to Middlesboro on the same court in the finals of the 13th Region All “A” Classic, the Harlan Green Dragons made sure there would be no late heroics on Tuesday in a 72-42 rout of Pineville.

Harlan hit 11 3-pointers, all the first half, in building a 40-point halftime advantage. With a running clock the entire second half, the Dragons coasted to the 30-point win with the reserves for both teams playing the majority of the minutes.

“I think a lot of teams suffer from an All “A” hangover when the tournament is over, especially when you play three games like we did and lose a tough one in the finals,” Harlan coach Derrick Akal said. “We hadn’t really shot well the last several games, so seeing the shots go in helped us all the way around, even on defense.”

Email newsletter signup

Senior guards Kilian Ledford and Jared Hawkins each scored 16 points and junior forward Jon Eldridge added 15 points and nine rebounds as the Dragons ended a two-game losing streak and improved to 14-8.

Junior guard Braxton Caldwell paced the 7-14 Lions with eight points. Matt Golden and Dalton Mason added seven each.

Harlan dominated the game from the start, racing to a 10-0 lead that grew to 24-5 by the end of the first quarter. Hawkins hit three 3-pointers in the opening period, while Cade Barnes and Jon Eldridge added two baskets each.

The Green Dragons grew even hotter in the second quarter, hitting six of six from behind the 3-point line in outscoring the Lions 31-10 to build a 55-15 advantage at the break. The Dragons hit 10 of 15 from the field in the quarter and didn’t have a turnover for the first 14 minutes of the half. Ledford hit four 3-pointers in the quarter, while Eldridge added two and Hawkins one.

With the second half starting with a running clock, the Dragons built their lead to 41 on baskets by Eldridge and Hawkins. Matt Golden had two baskets and Clay Goodin added.a 3-pointer as Pineville cut the deficit to 63-28 by the end of the period.

Pineville outscored the Dragons 14-9 in the fourth quarter as Golden led the Lions with two baskets. Jaeden Gist had two baskets for the Dragons, while Caleb Adkins and John Mark Bryson added one each.

Harlan will travel to Cordia on Friday. Pineville will travel to Lee, Va., on Saturday.

———

Pineville pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 46-37 win in junior varsity action.

Sophomore guard Keann Fuson led the Lions with 16 points. Tristan Hubbard scored nine, followed by Eli Thompson with seven, Evan Biliter with six, Ty Clark with four and Austin Fuson and Tim Gambrel with two each.

Harlan (1-9) was led by freshman guards Jaeden Gist and Kaleb McLendon with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Johann Gist scored nine. John Mark Bryson and Carl Pacholewski added three each.

———

Harlan 72, Pineville 42

HARLAN (14-8)

Jordan Akal 1-3 5-5 8, Cade Barnes 2-3 0-0 5, Jared Hawkins 6-10 0-0 16, Kilian Ledford 5-7 2-2 16, Jon Eldridge 6-11 1-1 15, Tate Bryson 2-4 1-2 5, Caleb Adkins 1-1 0-0 2, Carter Barnes 0-1 0-0 0, Jaeden Gist 2-3 0-0 4, Johann Gist 0-0 0-0 0, Trey Barnes 0-0 0-0 0, John Mark Bryson 1-1 0-0 2, Charles David Morton 0-1 0-0 0, Carl Pachelowski 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 26-45 9-10 72.

PINEVILLE (7-14)

Hayden Callebs 2-4 2-2 6, Clay Goodin 2-6 0-0 6 Braxton Caldwell 1-4 5-5 8, Keann Fuson 1-2 1-3 3, Dalton Mason 3-9 0-0 7, Matt Golden 3-8 1-1 7, Ben Goodin 1-3 0-0 2, Cameron Fuson 0-0 0-0 0, Austin Fuson 1-2 0-1 2, Eli Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Evan Biliter 0-2 0-0 0, Landon Couch 0-2 0-0 0, Tim Gambrel 0-0 1-3 1. Totals: 14-43 10-16 42.

Harlan 24 31 8 9 — 72

Pineville 5 10 13 14 — 42

3-point goals: Harlan 11-16 (Ledford 4-4, Hawkins 4-6, Eldridge 2-2, Cade Barnes 1-2, Akal 0-1, Morton 0-1), Pineville 4-17 (C. Goodin 2-3, Caldwell 1-3, Mason 1-5, Thompson 0-1). Rebounds: Harlan 28 (Eldridge 9, Ledford 6, Carter Barnes 4, Akal 2, Tate Bryson 2, Adkins 2, Jaeden Gist 2, Cade Barnes 1), Pineville 18 (Callebs 5, C. Goodin 4, Caldwell 2, Golden 2, BIliter 2, Mason 1, B. Goodin 1, Couch 1). Turnovers: Harlan 10, Pineville 13. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: Pineville (Mason)