BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Lady Cards kicked off the season with a win at Betsy Layne 52-43 on Monday. They dropped their home opener in a close one 52-47 to East Carter on Dec. 5.
Coach Robin Newsome’s squad ended the first quarter against the Bobcats with an 18-15 lead behind nine points from junior guard Brooke Marcum.
The Lady Cards went into the break with a 26-24 lead.
“The girls are learning each other and I’m learning how to coach them,” Coach Newsome said of her young Lady Cardinals.
With one senior, Candace Spaulding, this year’s team is building on her leadership.
One of the top freshmen in the state, Maci Maynard dropped in six points coming out of the locker room at Betsy Layne.
Martin County entered the final stanza with a 37-34 lead.
Chloe May nailed three free throws down the stretch and the Cards outscored the Bobcats 14-9 in the fourth quarter.
“I’m proud of the kids. They fought hard and pulled out their first win of the season,” Coach Newsome said.
Marcum led all scorers with 18 points in Martin County’s win. Maynard fired in 12 points.
Newcomer MaKenna Marcum had eight points in the contest. May finished with six points. Sophie Harless and eighth-grader Annaleigh Davis added four points each in the win.
Last week a cold open doomed the Cards in their season debut against East Carter.
Digging themselves into a 20-9 hole to end the first quarter, the team fought back in the second.
Two 3-pointers from B. Marcum and Davis kept Martin County in the game in the first half.
B. Marcum stayed hot after the break putting another 11 points on the board. Maynard poured in 10 to lead the comeback in the fourth quarter, but Martin County would fall short.
B. Marcum finished the contest with 17 points, followed by Maynard with 16 points.
Harless flipped in four points. Davis and May each hit a shot from behind the arc. M. Marcum and Spaulding each added two points.
“This is a totally different group. They are learning how to lead and play together,” Coach said. “We had a very short preseason and we just got Chloe May back from a broken foot. We just need to keep working hard.”
The Cardinals will host Jackson City at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 11). The team will travel to South Laurel to take on Casey County in the Lisa Collins Classic on Saturday at 3 p.m. They return to Inez for a district match-up with Magoffin on Dec. 17 at 7:30.