BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PIKEVILLE — State bound! In a thrilling championship showdown, the Lady Cards shocked the 15th Region by capturing the All “A” title Thursday night with a 41-40 win over Betsy Layne at the Appalachian Wireless Arena.
“It’s a big relief to win this one,” Martin County coach Robin Newsome bragged on her program. “It’s everything we’ve worked for. These girls and these coaches have worked their tails off. It’s the first All “A” title for Martin County High School girls, so they made history.”
The Ladies dedicated this season to former player Kennadi Mollett after she passed away a short time ago.
“She was like a daughter to me,” said Newsome. “There are some people you just won’t get over.”
Martin County’s victory was a testament to her, her family and a community that continues to mourn the loss.
“They have played their heart and soul out for her,” added Coach Newsome.
A young squad led by lone senior Candace Spaulding had doubters going into this tournament. But the Lady Cards proved they are at the top in the 15th Region.
Freshman Maci Maynard has been a dominant force in the paint. She expanded her game after opening the scoring with a 3 from the top of the key.
Betsy Layne went on a 6-0 run. Spaulding responded with a strong finish through contact for the old-fashioned three-point play to knot it back up.
Brooke Marcum made her way past the Bobcat defense for the up-and-under to take the lead back. She extended it to 10-6 on a steal and a basket at the other end.
Both teams went on an almost three-minute scoring drought before Spaulding broke the ice on two shots from the charity stripe.
Chloe May blocked a shot at the buzzer to send Martin County to the locker room with an 18-16 lead.
“These girls went from being role players to impact players very quickly,” Coach Newsome said of the youthful bunch.
“They watched the older kids last year and they’ve had to grow up quickly. These girls have become leaders.”
Maynard opened the half battling for a rebound and being fouled on a putback for the and-1.
The Cards took a 27-21 lead after Marcum put a Bobcat defender in a blender with the spin move for two.
Their biggest lead came on another Maynard shot under the basket to go up 32-23.
After exchanging buckets, Spaulding beat the end-of-quarter buzzer for an eight-point cushion.
The ball could not drop for the Cards to open the fourth and the Bobcats went on a 10-2 run.
With 2:41 remaining, Spaulding nailed a free throw to take the lead by one point.
The Lady Cards played cat-and-mouse to run some time off the clock.
Marcum was fouled up top on the perimeter and would step to the line for two shots. After narrowly missing the first, she took a deep breath and came in clutch sinking the second.
Betsy Layne was fouled with 22 seconds remaining and hit one of two at the line for a 41-40 Cardinal lead.
Martin County turned it over in the backcourt, but Sophie Harless had a monumental rebound from a Bobcat miss.
A mishap at the other end set up a final shot for Betsy Layne.
Coach Newsome set her team in a man-to-man.
With the Cardinal faithful holding their breath, the Bobcats shot a wide-open 3.
It fell short and Martin County erupted. Lady Cards were sprinting to each other with wide-open arms and tears.
“It’s not all about the game to me anymore. It’s more about the journey and the people that you spend it with. It’s the battles that you go through. I am thankful and I thank God because he has blessed our team tremendously,” Coach Newsome said after the nail-biter.
It was a night that will go down in history as one of the most remarkable moments for these ladies.
“I feel everything all at once,” Spaulding stated through a trembling voice. “We’ve worked hard leading up to this. It feels pretty darn good to be a Cardinal tonight.”
With eight points, Spaulding played a crucial role in maintaining the team’s momentum.
Maynard finished in double digits scoring 14 points.
A freshman with the poise of an upperclassman, Maynard said, “We worked really hard all season for this. Everybody in the region said we’re down this year and that we’re not going to do anything. Here we are. All for Kennadi.”
Marcum added 13 points to the scoreboard and made key plays under the big lights.
May’s five points were vital to Martin County’s performance.
Sophie Harless scored one point on the night. Her free throw proved to be colossal for the win.
“We shared the ball and played together. It wasn’t ‘I’ tonight, it was ‘us,’” she said of the well-fought battle.
This was a victory not only for the players but for the entire community that stood behind them.
“I have a great coaching staff,” Coach Newsome remarked. “We’re just a big family. We go at it on the bench, but they make me better. After the game’s over, we’re all best friends, and we love each other.”
Newsome has had the privilege of having her daughter, Boo Newsome, on the sidelines with her.
“I couldn’t do it without her,” the coach said. “She has taken on so many roles and does all the behind-the-scenes work. I don’t have a lot of things to worry about with the people I have on the bench with me.”
The Lady Cards will be taking on Crittenden County (14-3) at 8 p.m. Jan. 22 in the All “A” State tournament in Owensboro.
