Springs Mills Shakes Off Slow Start to Defeat Martinsburg, 73-48

Martinsburg, W.Va. — Spring Mills turned a two-point deficit after one quarter into a 25-point blowout, outscoring Martinsburg 23-2 in the second period en route to a 73-48 victory that completed a regular-season sweep of their city rivals.

The Bulldogs controlled the tempo early, leading 14-12 when the first eight minutes ended, but the Cardinals flipped the script as soon as the second quarter began. A blur of transition baskets ignited a 14-0 burst that stretched well beyond the Martinsburg bench’s first timeout and never truly stopped until the halftime horn sounded with Spring Mills up 35-16.

“I told them that we needed to get out in transition,” head coach Shannon Layton said. “We are really good when we push the tempo and they finally decided to follow the game plan. When we did that, we probably went on about a 14-0 run. The goal was to get out in transition, get them on their heels, and good things will happen.”

Good things indeed followed. The Cardinals’ defense, which has now held six of nine conference opponents under 50 points, limited Martinsburg to single digits in both the second and fourth quarters. Layton had set a pre-game target of keeping the Bulldogs under 45; the final 48 still felt like mission accomplished.

“I know in order to compete again for another state championship, we have to get after it on the defensive end,” Layton added.

Offensively, Spring Mills showcased a balanced arsenal. Senior guard Chase Jones poured in a game-high 21 points, while versatile wing Akwasi Opoku-Achampong contributed 20. Opoku-Achampong’s slashing style collapsed the Martinsburg defense, creating kick-outs that found Jones and others for clean looks.

“Akwasi does a lot for this team, on and off the court,” Layton said. “But on the court, he gets into the paint. He gets kickouts to the Jones’ and other players on the floor to get them wide open shots. Not only does he do it on the defensive end, offensively he gives us 20 points a game and he averages about six assists per game. That’s a tough guy to deal with if you are an opposing team.”

Tyler Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers with 16 points, and WVU football signee Xavier Anderson supplied an emotional lift in his first game back after a month-long injury layoff, chipping in eight points, relentless defense, and key rebounds.

“He brings so much energy to our program,” Layton said of Anderson. “He gets after it on defense. He gets us rebounds.”

The win lifts Spring Mills to 16-2 overall and extends its current winning streak to four games. The Cardinals, fresh off last season’s historic Class AAAA state title, now prepare for a Wednesday visit to Hedgesville and have added a March 5 road date at University.

Martinsburg, which fell to 8-11, was paced by Nykeem Thompson’s 15 points. Brayden Amsler added 13 and Mikey Green finished with 11, but the Bulldogs never recovered from the second-quarter avalanche.