BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Middle School Lady Cards battled through a grueling 12-hour day to go a perfect 4-0 to capture the Hoops On The Hill Invitational championship Saturday at Mullins.
Martin County opened the double-elimination tournament with a 9 a.m. tipoff against Pikeville, defeating the Lady Panthers 45-32.
Makenna Marcum led the way with 24 points, followed by Paige Stafford with 11. Braylee Horn added three, Harper Runyon two, Kennedy Mills two, Kenleigh Estep two and Zoe Sammons two.
In game two, the Lady Cards topped Lawrence County 39-31. Marcum again paced Martin County with 25 points, while Stafford added 11 and Horn scored three.
The semifinal against Dorton turned into the most thrilling matchup of the day. With the game tied in the final seconds, Martin County forced Dorton into a tough shot and grabbed the rebound.
After a timeout with 30 seconds left, the Lady Cards ran the clock down. Marcum drove into the lane and drew three defenders before kicking the ball out to Horn. The sixth-grader stepped up and sank a clutch 3-pointer from the wing with 7.6 seconds left to secure a 34-32 win and the winners’ bracket crown.
Marcum led all scorers with 24 points, Horn finished with six, Sammons had two, Stafford added one and Mills chipped in one.
Dorton fought back through the losers’ bracket to face Martin County again in the championship. But the Lady Cards left no doubt with a 41-24 victory to claim the title. Stafford scored 15 points, Marcum 13, Runyon six, Mills four and Sammons three.
