By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
LEXINGTON – Sometimes it happens like this. You’re playing your game. You’re confident, making the passes and the shots. Playing smart. You’re up double digits. Just one last quarter to go. Eight short minutes.
Campbell County Coach Brent Sowder consoles senior Broc Sorgenfrei after his 17-point Friday performance that earned him a spot on the all-tournament team. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)
And then it happens. As it did to Campbell County’s Camels Friday night in the second round of the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.
And it all turns around. That 55-44 lead is evaporating fast. A Harlan County team that’s pressing, trapping, desperately trying to get back in the game anyway they can – which in this case is on the back of 6-foot-6 shooting guard Trent Noah, who will be firing them in against UK here next year, is taking the ball away and doing so without fouling – and then scoring.
Did we mention scoring? Noah, imitating Oakland’s Jack Gohlke against UK Thursday, would hit for 48 points — the fourth-highest total ever in Sweet 16 history — on 16-of-23 shooting including seven of 10 from three-point range and nine of nine from the line.
Harlan County’s 48-point scorer Trent Noah and teammate Reggie Cottrell celebrate the Black Bears’ win. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)
“I’ve been coming to the Sweet 16 my whole life,” said Campbell County Coach Brent Sowder, referencing some of the shooting stars he’s seen here. “He’ll be a legend after tonight. I hate being on the other side of that . . . South Carolina got a good one.”
Only Wayland’s King Kelly Coleman, with games of 68 and 56 points in 1956, and Clay County’s Richie Farmer, with 51, bettered Noah’s Friday effort that had him surpass the 47 points of Linville Pucket (George Rogers Clark in 1952), Robert Brooks (Madison in 1970) and Manuel Forrest (Louisville Moore, 1981).
For those first three quarters, Campbell County had a good one going here, leading by 16 – 52-36 – with just 2:18 left in the third period. Harlan County was as close to dead as a team can be.
Campbell County’s Garyn Jackson makes a move into Harland County defender Brody Napier. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)
Only they weren’t. With just six players, the Black Bears don’t like to press, especially on the larger 94-foot college floor. But they had no choice. And then it happened. Not only did they get the ball, they got the call. After just three first-half fouls, the Camels were whistled for 18 the second half. And they weren’t pressing. Or playing from behind.
“We had to do it,” Harlan County Coach Kyle Jones said. And do it without fouling, finishing up with a free throw edge of 23-10 on 27 attempts vs. just 13 for Campbell County. “We tell ‘em not to foul and we’re pretty good with our hands,” Jones said.
Indeed. Although no one was as good as Noah, who hit shots from just a couple of steps across mid-court and as he was falling and being fouled.
“It was a spectacular feeling, for sure,” Noah said. Not to mention a spectacular performance. And Campbell County (27-7) had no one to defend him. At 6-6 playing guard, Noah was two inches taller than the Camel’s center, 6-4 Connor Weinel. As the game went on, that size differential showed. Campbell County won the rebounding battle, 17-16, the first half but lost it, 20-9, in the second.
Campbell County’s Connor Weinel goes with his left hand against Harlan County’s Jaycee Carter. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)
Did the smaller Camels wear down a bit? Well, Harlan County (33-4) had seven more hours rest after Wednesday’s game after both Northern Kentucky teams “drew” into the last game Thursday.
“We hadn’t seen Campbell County since they’re a Northern Kentucky team,” Jones said, “I’m so impressed by them . . . a very well-coached team.”
But a team with a coach who will have “moments from the fourth quarter and overtime I’ll relive the rest of my life,” Sowder said with a shake of his head.
After outscoring the Camels, 25-14, in the final period, “We had the momentum entering overtime,” Noah said. Especially after the Camels’ Broc Sorgenfrei, who was named to the All-Swwet-16-Tourney team after his 17-point performance, could not connect with the score 69.
“I was happy with the shot we got,” Sowder said. “It didn’t go in . . . I trust my guys.” Camel Garyn Jackson had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists and was enough of a problem with his penetrating into the paint that Noah volunteered to try to stop him. Nathan Smith added another 12 for Campbell County.
Campbell County’s William Johnson beats Harlan County’s Maddux Huff to this loose ball. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)
The 16-2 overtime edge, after the fourth-quarter Harlan County comeback, did not seem as surreal as it might have. Once this game turned, it turned. And there was no going back as the Rupp crowd has always favored “the mountain kids,” as the Eastern Kentucky Appalachian teams have always been called.
“They got us out of our comfort zone,” Sowder said, noting how maybe it’s just “human nature to protect what you have” . . . in this case, a 16-point lead, and not be as aggressive as you were building it up.
But that’s not the end of it for Sowder and this 27-7 Campbell County team “that not a lot of people expected much from” before it ran off 13 straight wins to get here.
With a quote from Irving Berlin – maybe in the entire history of Rupp Arena there has never been a basketball coach quote the great songwriter – here was Sowder’s take.
“The song may be over but the melody lingers on,” Sowder said.
Indeed.
SCORING SUMMARY
CAMPBELL COUNTY 17 18 20 14 2—71
HARLAN COUNTY 14 14 16 25 16—85
CAMPBELL COUNTY (27-7): Johnson 3-6 1-3 2-3 9, Smith 4-6 3-5 1-2 12, Weinel 2-7 0-2 3-4 7, Sorgenfrei 6-15 5-12 0-0 17, Jackson 6-13 0-4 4-4 7, Franzen 3-4 1-1 0-0 7, Fancher 1-7 1-5 0-0 3, Anthrop 0-0 0-0 0-0 0; TOTALS: 25-58 11-32 10-13 71.
HARLAN COUNTY (33-4): Johnson 0-1 0-1 2-2 2, Carter 1-3 0-2 1-2 3, Cottrell 3-9 1-3 1-2 6, Noah 16-23 7-10 9-9 48, Huff 7-16 0-4 8-10 22, Napier 0-0 0-0 2-2 2; TOTALS: 27-52 8-20 23-27 85.
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @dweber3440.
Campbell County Camels accept their quarterfinalist plaque. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)
