BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PIKEVILLE — The Martin County Lady Cards upset Pikeville 59-56 in the 15th Region All “A” Classic on Jan. 14 at Appalachian Wireless Arena.
With the win Martin County advanced to the final match Thursday against Betsy Layne.
The Panthers were aiming for their fourth consecutive 15th Region All “A” title. But Martin County put a damper on their plans.
“They played for Kennadi and each other,” Martin County coach Robin Newsome said of the hard-fought victory.
The girls dedicated this win to their former teammate who tragically passed away as the season was beginning.
“This was a total team effort,” added Newsome. “The kids played their hearts out and left it all on the court.”
Brooke Marcum set the tone for the night when she hit a step-back 3 for the first score of the game.
Martin County led the majority of the game with the Panthers nipping at their heels.
With just over two minutes remaining in the contest, Pikeville had cut the lead to three.
Marcum powered her way to the bucket and finished through contact for the old-fashioned three-point play.
After the Cards gained an eight-point lead with 1:15 on the clock, Pikeville cut it to two.
Marcum and Candace Spaulding hit three clutch free throws to send the Panthers packing.
Four Lady Cardinals put up huge numbers in a balanced scoring attack—an effort that saw all shoot at least 50% from the floor.
A key factor for pulling out the win was the deficit at the glass. Martin County outrebounded Pikeville 38-12.
Maci Maynard has become quite the double-double machine. She fired in 11 points, pulled down 11 boards and dished out eight assists with her thundering passes.
Marcum finished with a blistering 18 points on three shots from deep, seven rebounds and three dimes.
Spaulding, Martin County’s senior leader, showed up big for her hometown. She poured in 16 points on 70% shooting from the floor. The lengthy guard recorded seven rebounds and handed out three assists.
“Everybody played their role and they busted the door down,” said Newsome. “They were all business.”
Chloe May was a huge factor in the win. After suffering an injury in the preseason, she has bounced back in a monumental way for the Cards.
May notched 14 points after knocking down two 3-pointers, bringing in seven rebounds and blocking two at the rim.
“They showed a lot of guts and heart, and this was a huge win for our program,” Newsome commented.
Sophie Harless had six rebounds and assisted on two shots. Annaleigh Davis had a key assist down the stretch to help the Lady Cards hold the late surge from the Panthers.
“Pikeville has a very good basketball team. God blessed us for sure,” Newsome concluded.