Written By: Cody Thomas
The Paintsville Tigers faced off against the Belfry Pirates in the 15th Region All ‘A’ Classic in front of a raucous crowd at the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville. It was an interesting match up, featuring first year head coach Brent Perry going head-to-head with Paintsville’s Landon Slone, who is seeking another trip to the State All ‘A’ Classic.
First Quarter Recap
Belfry came out strong, opening the game on a 4-0 run fueled by quick baskets from Ethan Diles and Jaxon Estridge. Anderson Lauffer put Paintsville on the board with a driving layup, but Estridge immediately answered with a three-pointer, extending Belfry’s lead to 8-2.
Paintsville responded with a key basket from Ethan Cole, and the Tigers set up their full-court press, disrupting Belfry’s rhythm. Jase Kinner hit a clutch three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 8-7 with 2:55 remaining in the quarter.
From there, Paintsville caught fire. Parker Helton nailed a three-pointer to put the Tigers ahead, followed by another three from Lauffer. Paintsville’s perimeter shooting surged, with Kinner hitting his second three-pointer of the quarter. Paintsville closed the quarter on a dominant 14-0 run fueled by their sharp shooting and relentless defensive pressure, taking a commanding 16-8 lead into the second quarter.
Second Quarter Recap
Paintsville continued their strong performance into the second quarter, opening on an 8-0 run fueled by contributions from Brock Woods (two buckets), Ethan Cole (two buckets), and Lauffer. This explosive start extended Paintsville’s lead to 24-8 with six minutes left in the half.
Belfry finally broke their scoring drought with a free throw from Brody Little, a bucket from Carter Jude, and a three-pointer from Bryce Hagy, cutting the deficit to 24-14. Paintsville responded with a basket from Ethan Cole, but Brody Little answered quickly, making it 27-18 with 3:24 remaining in the second quarter.
Maycen Allen added a bucket for Paintsville, but Belfry surged back with a 5-0 run, including a three-pointer from Carter Jude and a layup from Bryce Hagy off a Paintsville turnover. This run closed the gap to 29-23.
The Tigers managed to hold onto their lead, with Parker Helton capitalizing on a Belfry turnover to score before halftime. Despite Belfry’s rally, Paintsville went into the break ahead 31-27.
Third Quarter Recap
Paintsville picked up where they left off, opening the third quarter with a 5-0 run fueled by a Lauffer layup and a three-pointer from Brock Woods, extending their lead to 36-27.
Belfry’s Ethan Diles responded with a three-pointer to trim the gap to 36-30, followed by a bucket from Carter Jude to make it 36-32 with 5:10 left in the quarter. Jase Kinner countered with his third three-pointer of the game, pushing Paintsville’s lead to 39-32, but Belfry answered with a quick bucket to keep the score close at 39-34 with just over three minutes remaining.
Ethan Cole added another bucket for Paintsville, but Carter Jude answered with a layup for Belfry. Ethan Diles then scored two more points, bringing his total to 11 and closing the gap to 41-38 with two minutes left in the third.
Brock Woods stepped up again, knocking down his second three-pointer of the game, but Brody Little quickly answered with a three of his own to make it 44-41.
Ethan Diles delivered a crucial defensive moment, taking a charge that gave Belfry an opportunity to press and gain momentum. Despite their effort, Paintsville maintained a narrow 44-41 lead heading into the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter Recap
The Paintsville Tigers came out strong in the final quarter, opening with a 4-0 run fueled by buckets from Brock Woods and Jase Kinner, extending their lead to 48-41. Belfry adjusted by shifting into a 2-3 zone, but a turnover by Carter Jude allowed Paintsville to maintain their momentum. Brody Little answered with a tough basket off the glass, narrowing the score to 48-43 with 5:55 left.
Belfry applied full-court pressure before dropping into a half-court 2-3 zone. Diles picked up his third foul, giving Paintsville an edge. Jase Kinner responded with his fourth three-pointer, making it 51-43. Brody Little quickly countered with a bucket, but Ethan Cole answered to keep Paintsville in control at 53-45.
Jaxon Estridge delivered a tough baseline drive for Belfry, trimming the deficit to 53-47, but fouls began to hurt the Pirates. Paintsville’s Parker Helton hit both free throws to make it 55-47 with 3:39 left. Belfry’s Jaxon Estridge hit a pull-up jumper, narrowing the margin to 55-49, but Kinner extended the lead again, converting an and-1 play to make it 58-49 with just over two minutes remaining.
Belfry kept fighting as Ethan Diles scored off a nice assist to make it 58-51. After Kinner knocked down two free throws, Brody Little capitalized on a Paintsville turnover with a bucket, narrowing the gap to 58-53. Belfry’s defense forced Kinner to miss two crucial free throws, and Diles drained a three-pointer to make it 60-56 with just 12.6 seconds left.
Belfry fouled Brock Woods, who split his free throws, extending the lead to 61-56. Brody Little scored a quick bucket to cut it to 61-58 with just 3.7 seconds remaining. However, Ethan Cole sealed the game for Paintsville with two clutch free throws, ensuring a 63-58 victory.
With the win, the Tigers move on to the second round to face Shelby Valley.
Key Takeaways:
• Paintsville’s Resilience: Jase Kinner’s consistent scoring (17 points), including four three-pointers, and Brock Wood’s (12 points) timely contributions were pivotal.
• Belfry’s Fight: Ethan Diles (17 points) and Brody Little (14 points) led the charge for Belfry, keeping them within striking distance until the final seconds. Jaxon Estridge and Carter Jude had 11 points.
• Clutch Free Throws: Paintsville’s ability to convert at the line, especially in the closing moments, secured the win.
