PINEVILLE — Whitley County closed out Kentucky 2A, Section 7 Tournament play on a high note, defeating Harlan County 59–47 in the third-place game on Saturday.
The win improved the Lady Colonels to 6–7 on the season, while Harlan County also finished the tournament at 6–7.
Whitley County controlled the game from the opening tip, leading 15–11 after the first quarter and taking a 28–23 advantage into halftime. The Lady Colonels continued to set the tempo in the third quarter, extending the lead to 39–32 before closing the game out in the final eight minutes.
Maddy Hopkins delivered a dominant performance, leading Whitley County with 29 points. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter, knocked down all seven of her free throw attempts in the final quarter, and finished the game 11-of-13 from the free-throw line. Jonna Rice added 13 points, while Lydia Hale and Jaylee Cox chipped in six points apiece.
Harlan County was led by Taylynn Napier with 17 points. Jaycee Simpson added nine, while Kaylee Cochran and Kylie Runions scored seven points each.
Whitley County coach Ronnie Collier praised his team’s effort and contributions across the lineup.
“I’m really proud of our effort tonight,” he said. “Harlan County is a really good team who shoots the ball extremely well. I thought our defense was solid, even though they present some bad matchups for us.
“I felt like every girl that stepped on the floor contributed in some way,” Collier added. “Maddy played one of her best games of the year. She was able to really dominate the paint. Jonna also had a great game both offensively and defensively. She is the most underrated player in the region for what she does for our team.
“We also had other girls to step up tonight and play well,” he continued. “Aubrey Fore had a great game defensively. Lydia Hale had huge buckets in the second half to help us extend our lead. Jaylee Cox played good defense and made some timely baskets. We will get back in the gym tomorrow and start to prepare for district play. Go Colonels.”
