BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PIKEVILLE — Martin County’s season came to a close Saturday night as Pikeville pulled away in the second half to defeat the Cardinals 70-61 in the 15th Region Tournament semifinals.
The loss ended the high school careers of five Martin County seniors.
Seniors Devan Maynard, Eli Mills, Alan Moore, Braxton Maynard and Tanner Jennings played their final game for the Cardinals, closing the book on one of the most accomplished four-year stretches in program history.
Pikeville took a 16-13 lead at the end of the first quarter after hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer, then carried a 32-28 advantage into halftime.
The Panthers extended their lead to 52-44 by the end of the third quarter and kept Martin County from making a full comeback in the final period.
The Cardinals stayed within striking distance throughout much of the night but could never quite get over the hump.
Martin County head coach Jason “JJ” James said the game began to slip away in the third quarter when the Cardinals tried to speed up Pikeville’s experienced backcourt.
“They have a bunch of really good guards, and I felt like we played into their hands,” James said.
Junior Braxton Keathley had 35 points, 10 rebounds and two steals.
Bryson Dials stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Brayden Marcum scored six points and grabbed two rebounds. Devan Maynard finished with four points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Eli Mills added two rebounds.
While the loss ended Martin County’s postseason run, it also marked the conclusion of a remarkable era for the Cardinals senior class. Over the past four years that group helped lead Martin County to 90 wins, three district championships, three All “A” championships, two All “A” Elite Eight appearances and one 15th Region Tournament championship.
James said the senior class helped establish one of the winningest stretches for the county.
“Some of these seniors are part of probably the most winning four years of any Martin County team ever,” James said. “They come in every day, work really hard and I can’t be more proud of them.”
James also praised a team that finished with 22 wins, reached the final eight of the All “A” State Tournament and navigated a demanding schedule throughout the season.
“I’m really proud of this team,” he said. “I think we had a great year.”