Keathley sets school record
BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LEXINGTON — Braxton Keathley delivered a historic shooting performance Saturday night as Martin County defeated Kentucky Country Day 92-64 in the Republic Bank–Sayre School Lankster Classic.
Keathley set a new Martin County school record by knocking down 12 3-pointers. He finished with a red-hot 42 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field. The junior added four rebounds, three assists and five steals in the dominant win.
Martin County wasted little time taking control. The Cards jumped out to a 23-12 lead after the first quarter before extending the advantage to 48-30 at halftime.
Coach Jason “JJ” James’ gang put the game out of reach in the third quarter, outscoring Kentucky Country Day to take a 79-50 lead heading into the final period.
“I thought this was the best game and most complete game we have played,” James said. “We really shared the ball extremely well and played together. I’m really proud of them.”
The coach said the performance reflected his team’s growth and accountability.
“Definitely something we can build from,” he added. “I think they responded well after the loss at Logan. We had some hard conversations, and I really liked their response.”
Martin County’s balance was evident throughout the night.
Bryson Dials was lethal in all aspects of the game. He recorded a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, committing just one turnover.
Alan Moore delivered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds after battling in the paint.
Eli Mills remained consistent and finished with 13 points.
Devan Maynard controlled the glass with 18 rebounds and had five points, six assists and five steals.
Brayden Marcum contributed five points and three assists. The menace on defense collected eight steals on the evening.
Chase Hinkle scored two points.
James said the Cardinals’ previous outing in Logan, West Virginia, did not accurately reflect their level of play.
“I didn’t think we played terribly against Logan,” he said. “We just shot it terribly.”
The Lankster Classic provided valuable minutes against high-level competition.
“It’s great exposure,” said James. “There are some really good teams down here. South Oldham and Bryan Station are both probably top-15 teams in the state.”
Martin County has another challenge Sunday in the three-day showcase.
“We have a really tough one tomorrow against a really good Sayre team on their home court,” James said.
The Cards tipoff at 6:45 p.m. Follow updates on the Mountain Citizen Facebook page.