BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PIKEVILLE — The Road to Rupp continued for the Cardinals after Martin County made the Pirates walk the plank Thursday night. Martin County defeated Belfry 78-60 in the quarterfinals of the 15th Region Tournament at Appalachian Wireless Arena behind a 34-point, 11-rebound double-double from Braxton Keathley.
The Cardinals came out firing and built a 22-12 lead by the end of the first quarter. Eli Mills, Bryson Dials and Brayden Marcum each connected from 3-point range in the opening period to provide the early spark. Keathley poured in 11 first-quarter points as Martin County seized control.
The Cardinals stretched the lead to 35-26 by halftime. Mills knocked down another long-range shot in the second quarter, Keathley added six more points, and Martin County got interior baskets from Alan Moore and Devan Maynard to maintain momentum heading into the break.
Martin County then delivered its knockout punch in the third quarter. The Cards outscored Belfry 24-12 to take a 59-38 advantage into the fourth.
Mills stayed hot from the outside with two more triples and a basket in the period. Keathley drilled a shot from behind the arc and scored nine points total in the quarter. Marcum added another from downtown, and Maynard scored twice at the rim as the Cardinals created separation.
Belfry never got closer in the fourth. Dials scored four points from the floor and added three free throws in the final period.
Keathley was perfect at the line – 8 for 8 in the quarter to help seal the win. Maynard and Marcum each added a basket down the stretch as Martin County closed out the 18-point victory.
Keathley led all scorers with 34 points and added 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals. He shot 10 of 17 from the field, made his lone 3-point attempt and went a perfect 13 for 13 from the free-throw line.
Mills was on fire with 14 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. He knocked down four 3-pointers to give Martin County a major lift on the perimeter.
Dials stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Maynard was lethal in every aspect of the game. He turned in a strong all-around effort with 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocked shots.
Marcum scored eight points with a pair of 3-pointers, and Moore added two points.
Peyton Owens led Belfry with 18 points, Bryce Hagy followed with 15 and Brody Little contributed 14. Carter Jude added 10 points, Jaxson Pack scored two and Logan Barker finished with one.
Martin County head coach Jason “JJ” James said his team focused on improving defensively after a close earlier meeting with Belfry.
“They’ve won a lot of games this year,” James said. “They did a great job, almost beat us the first time we played them. We were glad to bounce back and play much better tonight, especially defensively.”
Keathley’s ability to both score and facilitate was a major factor in the Cardinals’ offensive rhythm throughout the game.
“Braxton is a stud,” James said. “He scores at all three levels; he’s a great player. He rebounded and moved well on defense. It’s easy for him to get out, get to the basket, then find open shooters.”
James also credited Mills’ shooting with helping stretch the floor.
“Absolutely,” James said when asked if Mills is a game-changer. “He changes the dynamic for us. He’s a good shooter and they have to get out on him.”
The Cardinals turned their attention to a semifinal matchup with Pikeville, another top contender in the region.
“They’re a spectacular basketball team,” James said. “We’ll have to be ready.”
James praised the Martin County fans who filled their section of the arena.
“I thought we packed it out on our side,” he said. “I’m glad they got here and I’m sure they’ll stick with us all the way through.”
With the win, Martin County advanced to the 15th Region Tournament semifinals Saturday to face Pikeville.
