BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LAS VEGAS — The Martin County Cardinals took the trip of a lifetime and carved their name in the annals of the 11th annual Jerry Tarkanian Classic at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. The Cardinals played four games in four days starting Dec. 18. They opened their campaign with a commanding 79-63 victory over Merced California, followed by a strong 81-68win against Hug. They had an 89-49 setback against Monsignor Scanlan but bounced back to outplay TMI Episcopal 66-46 to clinch third place in their division with an impressive 3-1 record.
This prestigious event featured over 125 boys high school teams across eight divisions and more than 70 prep programs. A highlight for the Cardinals was meeting NBA legend Tim Duncan, who attended their game against TMI Episcopal. In addition to the games, the team experienced sightseeing activities in Las Vegas.
Martin County Coach Jason James praised the team’s performance.
“This tournament was a great experience for our team,” James remarked. “We played pretty well, considering we did not get to practice without our starting point guard, Dray Duff, who was out. [Center] Blake Maynard was also out sick for the trip, so other guys stepped up and did a great job. Finishing third and going 3-1 makes this trip a great success.”
He added, “The kids saw a part of the country that most have never seen. I think they all had a great time. Playing against Bruce Bowen’s team and getting to meet Tim Duncan is something they will remember forever.”
Here is a recap of Martin County’s journey in the tournament:
Cardinals 79, Merced 63
Seniors Luke Hale and Brayden McKenzie combined for 58 points to help the Cardinals overcome the Merced Bears out of California 79-63 in their first game Dec. 18 in the Tarkanian Classic.
Martin County played without the services of point guard Dray Duff and center Blake Maynard. Duff was out with a leg injury, while Maynard was sidelined due to illness.
The Cardinals set the tone early, leading 20-14 after the first quarter and 36-23 at halftime.
The momentum swung in the third quarter. Fouls plagued the Cardinals, allowing Merced to mount a comeback. The Bears scored 29 third-quarter points to narrow Martin County’s lead to 56-52 at the end of the third quarter.
Martin County picked up the defensive pressure in the fourth frame, converting steals to easy baskets to seal the win.
Hale led Martin County with 29 points, while McKenzie followed with 28. Devan Maynard added eight points, Peyton Davis and Bryson Dials each netted five, and Jacob Sturgell flipped in four.
For Merced, Lervantes led with 26 points, Donnie Marshall followed with 10, Aiden Matsuo added eight, Grosbeier flipped in six, and Keyto Hillyen scored five. Vesquez, Thomas, Jackson and Beton all contributed two points.
Cards 81, Hug 68
Five players scored double figures in Martin County’s 81-68 victory over Hug High School out of Reno, Nevada, the following day.
With point guard Dray Duff and center Blake Maynard still sidelined due to injury and illness, Martin County’s Peyton Davis, Devan Maynard and Bryson Dials stepped up to the challenge.
Davis came out on fire in the first quarter, sinking three 3-pointers on his way to 11 points.
The Cardinals led 20-15 at the end of the first quarter and 35-34 at halftime.
Martin County outgunned Hug 26-16 in a decisive third quarter that ended with the Cardinals in front 61-50.
Dials gave Martin County big minutes in the fourth quarter, contributing eight points off the bench as the Cardinals finished the victory.
Luke Hale led Martin County with 20 points, Davis finished with 18, Dials added 13, Brayden McKenzie netted 11, D. Maynard chipped in 10 and Jacob Sturgell scored nine.
David Houl scored 23 points to lead Hug, Davis followed with 20 points, Bol Makur added 13, and Herber and Pacheco each contributed six.
MS 89, Cards 49
Despite a strong start, the Martin County Cardinals suffered a tough 89-49 loss Dec. 20 to a good Monsignor Scanlan from Bronx, New York, in the semifinal round of the Tarkanian Classic.
The Cardinals got off to a good start and had an 18-14 lead after the first quarter. Things fell apart for Martin County in the second quarter as Scanlan erupted for 34 points while holding the Cardinals to eight. The Cardinals trailed 48-26 at halftime.
The uphill battle continued for Martin County in the second half. Monsignor Scanlan outscored the Cardinals 41-23 in the third and fourth quarters to claim the win.
Luke Hale led the Cardinals with 17 points, Brayden McKenzie scored 15, Peyton Davis added seven, Devan Maynard and Bryson Dials each tallied four, and Jacob Sturgell chipped in two.
Dior led Monsignor with 22 points, Rodriquez added 13, Darren finished with 12, Ferguson netted 11, Suio scored 10, Kemar chipped in six, Raleb flipped in five, Gelim and Kyle each contributed four, and Troy added two.
Cards 66, TMI 46
Capping off a challenging stretch of games, the Martin County Cardinals overcame TMI from San Antonio 66-46 in their fourth game in four days, Dec. 21 in the Tarkanian Classic.
The Cardinals looked fatigued and got off to a sluggish start, trailing 18-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Whatever Coach James conveyed during the timeout worked, as the Cardinals found their second wind in the second quarter, outscoring TMI 27-9. Martin County took a 38-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Cardinals maintained their momentum and had a 59-39 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Despite signs of fatigue from both teams in the final stanza, the Cardinals held on for the victory, finishing the tournament with a 3-1 record and securing third place in their division.
Luke Hale led all scorers with 29 points for the Cardinals, Peyton Davis and Jacob Sturgell each added 12, Brayden McKenzie finished with five, Eli Mills and Bryson Dials each added three, and Devan Maynard netted two.
For TMI, Croken led with 12 points, Hones followed with 11, Bowen added nine, McCorky chipped in five, Hill and D. Bowen each had three, Hall had two and Maye chipped in one.
Martin County, playing a competitive schedule, moved to 5-5 on the season.
The Cardinals look forward to their next challenge Dec. 28 at the Ashland Invitational Tournament. Martin County is set to take on Jefferstown at 8:30 p.m. at Ashland Blazer. They will return home Jan. 5 to host the Golden Eagles of Johnson Central at 7:30 p.m.
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