By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

The Martin Bulldogs didn’t score until there was 1:52 remaining in the first quarter. Once they got started scoring, they couldn’t stop.

Martin’s Octavious Palmer sparked a scoring spree for the Bulldogs (4-2) to push them over the Jemison Panthers 42-17 Thursday at Martin Middle School. Palmer accounted for eight of the Bulldogs’ first nine points, lifting Martin to a lead it would not relinquish.

“Coach told me to drive in,” Palmer said. “They can’t guard me, and that’s what I’ve got to do to help my team win.”

After falling into an early 5-0 hole, Palmer knocked down two baseline jump shots and a layup while getting fouled. Martin took a 9-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, and went on a 13-0 run that ended with a layup from Jaylen Olds with 3:15 left in the second quarter.

Palmer said a more aggressive approach to the game allowed Martin to play better than its game at Jemison earlier in the season, when the Bulldogs only won by one point.

“We drove the ball more, and Patrick [Callens] had a good game that led us to some fast breaks,” Palmer said.

Callens extended the lead to 19-7 with two straight layups. Darius Ellis assisted for Callens’ third layup of the second quarter to give Martin a 10-point lead.

“Patrick Callens played his best game so far this year,” said Martin head coach Taylor Hughes. “He was flying around on defense got a lot of steals. He was working hard, getting rebounds on offense, getting all the points that we need. He was great for us.”

Callens scored eight points, all of which came in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs carried a 22-13 lead into halftime.

“At halftime I told them the first three minutes of the third quarter would really decide the game for us,” Hughes said.

Hughes was right.

The Bulldogs held the Panthers scoreless through the first three minutes of the second half, and Carl Mcghee gave Martin a 26-13 lead with a steal and subsequent layup midway through the third quarter. Tyrique Cole added three straight points off a free throw and layup. Palmer closed out the third quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer — the lone 3-pointer of the game for either team — to put Martin up 32-17 at the end of three quarters.

Alex Carlyle scored five points for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter as Martin went on a 10-0 run to close out the game.

“Getting this type of win by 25 points really gives our guys confidence,” Hughes said. “We got a lot of confidence going into next week, and we play some good teams next week, so we need that.”

 

Martin girls basketball falls in close game

The Martin girls’ basketball team erased a 4-2 first quarter deficit by igniting a 7-0 run through the second quarter to lead 9-4 at halftime.

A five-point halftime lead wasn’t enough, however, as the Martin Bulldogs (3-3) came up short against the Jemison Panthers Thursday in a 23-21 defeat. Martin’s Jamila Parker and Sharilyn Burgess led the Bulldogs with six points each.

Jemison fought back to take a 14-13 lead at the end of the third quarter. With less than 10 seconds left, Martin trailed by two with a chance to hit a game-winning shot.

Martin was unable to get a shot off as time expired.

The girls’ team will try to rebound from the loss while the boys’ team will try to win two straight Tuesday against Isabella in a home game at 1 p.m.