Keathley, Maynard post triple-doubles
BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County is off and running. The Cardinals opened their season with wins over Floyd Central at home and Perry County Central and Oneida Baptist Institute in the D.J. Begley Classic at Pike Central.
“We’ve got three really good wins,” Martin County head coach Jason James said. “Obviously the big win over Perry Central, who is the 14th Region favorite. The team is really starting to come together.”
The Cards dropped 13 3-pointers in their home-opening win Dec. 3 with a 73-63 victory over Floyd Central. Martin County did most of its damage from long range, outscoring the Jaguars 39–3 from beyond the arc.
The Red Birds shot 25-of-57 from the field (43.9%), 13-of-37 from deep (35.1%) and 10-of-13 at the line (76.9%).
Floyd Central shot 46.6% from the field and held a 39-24 edge on the glass, including 12 offensive rebounds, but the Jaguars went just 1-of-12 from 3 and turned the ball over 19 times against the Cardinals’ pressure.
Martin County finished with 10 turnovers and five blocks.
Braxton Keathley flirted with a triple-double in his official Cardinal debut. The four-star racked up 25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and six steals while shooting 8-of-18 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 at the stripe.
Sophomore guard Bryson Dials poured in 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. He added four rebounds and two assists.
Eli Mills knocked down three treys on his way to nine points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Devan Maynard stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Alan Moore chipped in two points, three rebounds and two assists.
Brayden Marcum sparked the defense off the bench with nine points, five assists and a zippy eight steals.
James said he likes how the Cardinals are sharing the ball in their up-tempo attack.
“The ball has been moving great – a lot of guys involved,” James said. “Obviously Braxton and Bryson have been great offensively. Braxton has been filling the stat sheet with points, rebounds and assists. Bryson has been lights out from 3.”
DJ Begley Classic
The Cardinals carried that momentum into the D.J. Begley Classic at Pike County Central Friday night where they rolled past Perry County Central 80-54.
Keathley delivered his first triple-double of the season, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He went 12-of-20 from the field, including 9-of-11 on 2-point attempts, and 7-of-8 at the line.
Dials matched the star power with 33 points, three rebounds, eight assists and three steals. He shot 12-of-17 from the floor, hitting 7-of-11 from 3 and 2-of-2 at the stripe.
Mills contributed five points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Maynard controlled the glass with 14 rebounds along with four points and two assists.
Marcum finished with four points, two rebounds, two assists and five steals. Moore grabbed six boards in the paint.
Martin County capped the week with a 97-60 rout of Oneida Baptist Institute during the second day of the D.J. Begley Classic, Dec. 6.
The Cardinals caught fire from deep, knocking down a school-record 21 3-pointers. According to KHSAA records, that total ranks sixth all-time in state history for made 3-pointers in a single game.
Maynard put on a masterful performance and posted a triple-double with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, plus three steals in the win.
Keathley poured in 30 points to lead all scorers. He collected five rebounds, five assists and four steals. He shot 12-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-4 at the line.
Dials and Mills each fired in 23 points for the Cards. Dials added three rebounds, five assists and three steals while shooting 8-of-17 from the field and 7-of-15 from 3.
Mills turned in a blistering 8-of-11 performance from the floor, going 7-of-10 from deep with two rebounds and two assists.
Marcum rounded things out with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and six steals, while Moore pulled down three rebounds.
Martin County now turns its attention to a challenging slate that includes Huntington Prep at home Dec. 10 and Harlan, Dec. 13. Fans also have an early marquee matchup to look forward to with Pikeville, Dec. 15 at MCHS.
“Huntington Prep is really good. They have great guards and a lot of size and athleticism,” James said. “We are getting there. We’ve got a long way to go, but so far I’m pretty excited.”
