Behind 48 points from Trent Noah, Harlan County ends Campbell County's Sweet 16 run
As South Carolina signee Trent Noah dropped 48 points in the quarterfinals on Friday night, Harlan County was able to make a comeback to remember against the Campbell County Camels.
The three-star guard put everyone on notice with a 35-point effort against Warren Central in the first round on Wednesday, and it became clear that he could lead the Black Bears to the promised land.
Thus, it was Harlan County that would advance to the UK HealthCare Boys’ Basketball Sweet 16 semifinals with an 85-71 overtime win over Campbell County. Noah’s 48 points are the fourth-most ever in the history of the Sweet 16. The Camels led by as many as 16 points with two minutes left in the third quarter before Noah and company stormed back in one of the more exciting high schools you’ll ever see in Kentucky.
Harlan County did everything they could — pushing the game to overtime thanks to a Noah dagger at the end of regulation. It was 69-69 after the fourth quarter; Harlan County then outscored Campbell County 16-2 in the overtime period.
Of course, Trent Noah was the leader of Harlan County. The 6-foot-6 wing reached his 48 points on 16-23 (7-10 3PT) shooting. Additionally, he had nine rebounds on the night as he made an impact on the game in multiple ways. Junior guard Maddox Huff is another Black Bear who made a difference in the win. In 36 minutes of play, Huff’s 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists were pivotal.
For Campbell County, Broc Sorgenfrei fueled Campbell County with 17 points. Garyn Jackson chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds while Nathan Smith added 12 points. But the Camels were outrebounded by 10 and shot just 43 percent from the field compared to 51.9 percent from Harlan County.
A legend in the making
Following the game, Campbell County head coach Brent Sowder (and some players too) spoke to the media following the loss. Coach Sowder revealed that he gave Noah some high praise in the handshake line.
“I told him in the handshake line — I was like ‘I’ve been coming to the state tournament like my whole life,'” Sowder mentioned. “I watched Chris Lofton — a bunch of guys — like Richie Farmer. (Noah) became a legend, a Sweet 16 legend. That’s something that’s gonna stay, we’re going to talk about that.”
Nothing like being compared to Chris Lofton and Richie Farmer, huh? Well, after a 48-point effort to lead Harlan County to a 16-point comeback and a spot in Saturday’s semifinals, it’s deserved.
The Black Bears will take on the winner of Trinity (Louisville) and Evangel Christian on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EST. If Harlan County were to win their semifinal matchup, they’d have a shot at the 2024 KHSAA Boys’ Basketball State Championship later that night.
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