BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County stole hearts on Valentine’s Day as they soared to a 101-89 victory over Johnson Central at home.
Coach Jason “JJ” James’ Cardinals had lost a close overtime game to the Golden Eagles last month and were looking for a revenge victory.
“It was a great win. I’m really proud of them to bounce back with the effort they had,” James said. “We wanted to send a message that we are the best team in the region. And it just started by getting back to play our style of basketball.”
The Cards had struggled recently closing out games in the fourth quarter, the coach said, but that was not the case on Friday.
“I thought we did a really good job this time of not letting Johnson Central back in the game when we had them down,” said James.
A packed gymnasium witnessed the high-scoring contest that showcased a balanced attack from Martin County. The Cardinals connected on 36 of 73 total field goal attempts for a 49.3% shooting percentage.
Freshman guard Bryson Dials orchestrated the offense, achieving a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Dials also contributed defensively with four steals.
Parker Watts led all scorers with a dominant 39-point performance while also grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out three assists. Watts connected on 11 of 20 two-point attempts and 8 of 12 free throws.
His ability to drive to the basket and score in the paint proved crucial for the Cardinals. Watts also made 3 of 7 three-point attempts.
Peyton Davis contributed 27 points and pulled down eight rebounds. He handed out two assists and picked an Eagle pocket.
Davis was a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, making five of nine 3-point attempts (55.6%).
Devan Maynard added 10 points and seven rebounds for Martin County, connecting on 5 of 9 field goals (55.6%). He handed out five assists on the evening.
Eli Mills scored six points, connecting on two of his three attempts from beyond the arc (66.7%), providing a spark off the bench. He grabbed a board off the glass and had two steals.
Brayden Estep chipped in with a point and three steals.
Martin County was scheduled to host Magoffin County on Feb. 18. Details were not available at press time. They are scheduled to play Pike County Central on Friday night.
Both counties were hit by flooding over the weekend, with Pike being hit particularly hard.
“The flooding is heartbreaking,” James said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this. We are here to help in any way possible.”
The 57th District Tournament gets underway next week at Magoffin County.
