BY JOSHUA BALL
FOR MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
FALLSBURG — Eden was oh so close.
The Wildcats’ fourth-quarter rally came up just short as they fell to Paintsville 37-34 in the Eastern Kentucky Elementary Basketball Conference Tournament championship Saturday at Fallsburg Elementary.
The Tigers (12-2) only lost to North Magoffin and Louisa East in the regular season. They played Eden, the back-to-back Martin County Elementary School Tournament champions, once this season — winning 43-17.
This time around, it was tight for all four quarters. The Wildcats (13-3) led 20-16 at the half.
Paintsville used a 6-0 run to start the second half, capped off by a basket by Will Austin to take the lead for good at 22-20 with 4:06 left in the third quarter. Austin, who fouled out in the third quarter, shared game-high scoring honors with Eden’s Luke Preece with 14 points. Austin had eight points in the third quarter.
While Eden didn’t regain its lead. It did tie the game twice in the third — at 22-apiece and 26-apiece on baskets by Chucky Leonard.
The Tigers slammed the door shut in the fourth in a 1-minute stretch when sixth-grader Graham Cox scored six points, his only points of the game. Cox was fouled on a made basket and missed a free throw. It was rebounded by Mike Vannoy and kicked back out to Cox who hit a jumper. That extended Paintsville’s lead to 33-27. Cox connected on a jumper with 3:47 remaining giving the Tigers their largest lead of the day at 35-27.
Eden didn’t quit, scoring five points in the final minute — all by Brydan Marshall. The Wildcats even had a chance to force overtime as the buzzer sounded.
“We told our kids before the game that they would have to play tough,” said Eden coach BJ Endicott. “We did just that. We left it all on the court.”
Caden Hensley chipped in seven points for the Tigers. Mikey Vannoy added six. Cason Childers and Mason Reed each finished with two.
Leonard had nine points for Eden. Marshall added seven, while Skylar Green finished with four.
At Fallsburg
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Eden (13-3) 10 10 7 7 — 34
Paintsville (12-2) 8 8 12 9 — 37
Scoring
Eden (34) — Brydan Marshall 2(1) 0-2 7, Luke Preece 4 6-10 14, Chucky Leonard 4 1-8 9, Skyler Green 0(1) 1-2 4. Totals: 10(2) 8-22 34.
Paintsville (37) — Will Austin 7 0-0 14, Caden Hensley 3 1-4 7, Mikey Vannoy 3 0-0 6, Graham Cox 3 0-0 6, Cason Childers 1 0-0 2, Mason Reed 1 0-0 2. Totals 18(0) 1-4 37.
B-Team Championship
Paintsville 35
Eden 9
FALLBSURG — Will Castle and Madden Fannin scored eight points each to lead the Paintsville Tigers to a convincing 35-9 victory over Eden in the Eastern Kentucky Elementary Basketball Conference B-Team Championship game Saturday at Fallsburg Elementary School.
Braylen Hammond added seven points for the Tigers, who raced out to a 17-7 halftime lead and held the Wildcats scoreless in the fourth quarter. Luke Stratton chipped in five. Jude Caldwell had four, Elliott Reed scored two, and Jay Castle finished with one.
Parker Stafford had four points to lead Eden. Zander Sammons chipped in three. Brock Fields finished with 2.
At Fallsburg
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Eden 2 5 2 0 — 9
Paintsville 6 11 8 10 — 35
Scoring
Eden (9) — Brock Fields 1 0-0 2, Jonah Mills 0 0-2 0, Grayson Mollett 0 0-6 0, Zander Sammons 1 1-4 3, Parker Stafford 1 2-4 4. Totals: 3(0) 3-16 9.
Paintsville (35) — Madden Fannin 4 0-0 8, Jay Castle 0 1-2 1, Braylen Hammond 3 1-2 7, Luke Stratton 2 1-4 5, Jude Caldwell 2 0-0 4, Will Castle 4 0-0 8, Elliott Reed 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16(0) 3-9 35.
C-Team Championship
Louisa East 35
Salyersville 8
FALLSBURG — The Eastern Kentucky Elementary Basketball Conference C-Team Championship still runs through Louisa East.
The Bulldogs left no doubt Saturday, racing past Salyersville, 35-8, for their second straight title at Fallsburg Elementary School.
Lucas Block and Bryson Raines shared game-high honors with 10 points each. Rylan Spillman followed with four. Tucker Dixon, Foster Cline, Kristian Johnson, Jake Newsome, and Aiden Newsome each had two. Ryder Endicott finished with one.
Jaden Miller led Salyersville with four points. Jase Hamilton and John Rose each finished with two.
At Fallsburg
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Salyersville 2 2 2 2 — 8
Louisa East 12 10 6 7 — 35
Scoring:
Salyersville (8) — John Rowe 1 0-0 2, Jase Allen 0 0-2 0, Jase Hamilton 1 0-2 2, Jaden Miller 2 0-0 4. Totals: 4 0-4 8.
Louisa East (35) — Lucas Block 5 0-0 10, Tucker Dixon 1 0-0 2, Bryson Raines 4 2-4 10, Foster Cline 1 0-0 2, Kristian Johnson 1 0-0 2, Jake Vanhoose 1 0-0 2, Rylan Spillman 1 0-0 2, Aiden Newsome 2 0-0 4, Ryder Endicott 0 1-2 1. Totals 16 3-6 35.
