BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County defeated visiting Floyd Central 94-89 in overtime Feb. 20 to finish the regular season.

The Cardinals were in command of a 24-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. Luke Hale and Jacob Sturgell scored seven points each and Devan Maynard added six in the effort.

Martin County faced a challenge in the second period as Floyd Central went on an 8-2 run, prompting Martin County coach Jason James to call a quick timeout. Sturgell notched seven points, while Brayden McKenzie contributed six to help the Cardinals to a 44-39 lead at halftime.

Both teams picked up their defensive pressure after halftime. Floyd Central outscored the Cardinals 24-19 in the third quarter, tying the score 63-63. Hale scored nine consecutive points on his way to a 12-point quarter to keep the Cardinals alive.

The fourth quarter saw the lead change hands multiple times, with both teams playing evenly. The final seconds ticked away with the score deadlocked 84-84 when the horn sounded.

This one was headed into overtime.

Martin County outscored Floyd Central 10-5 in the OT quarter to secure the win.

Hale scored 31 points to lead Martin County, shooting 72.2% from the field while grabbing eight rebounds. Sturgell followed with 24 points and added seven rebounds. McKenzie contributed 14 points and eight rebounds. Devan Maynard added 12 points, Blake Maynard netted six, Bryson Dials added four, and Peyton Davis chipped in three.

The Cardinals finished the regular season with a 19-9 record. They were set to play Paintsville in the 57th District Tournament on Tuesday at Martin County High School, but details from that game were unavailable at press time. The winner of Tuesday’s game will play the winner of the Johnson Central vs. Magoffin County game for the tournament championship Thursday night in Inez. However, the championship game time had not been announced by press time.