PINEVILLE — Harlan County closed the Class 2A, Section 7 tournament with a dramatic comeback, rallying past McCreary Central 76-70 in the third-place game on Monday night.
The victory improves the Black Bears to 8-5 on the season.
Harlan County trailed throughout much of the contest and entered the fourth quarter facing a 58-48 deficit. The Black Bears flipped the script in the final eight minutes, fueled by an explosive performance from Trent Cole.
Cole poured in 22 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter alone, repeatedly attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line. He went an incredible 14-of-15 at the stripe during the final period and also connected on six three-pointers in the game to spark the rally.
Reggie Cottrell provided key support with 17 points for Harlan County, while Kaden Jones knocked down three three-pointers and finished with nine points.
Behind Cole’s late-game heroics, Harlan County outscored McCreary Central 28-12 in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback victory and finish third in the Section 7 tournament.
