Asante Martin scores 1,000th point in Warhorse victory
Owen celebrates milestone with conference win over Draughn
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 23, 2025
Owen junior Asante Martin recorded his 1,000th career point, Jan. 21, in a 95-74 victory over Draughn. The guard became the first Warhorse to his the milestone since 2019. Photo by Fred McCormick
Victory was well within reach, Jan. 21, as Asante Martin released an arching shot from behind the 3-point line, in the waning minutes of a 95-74 win over Draughn. When the ball dropped through the net, the junior guard joined a select group of players in an elite club of Owen scorers.
Martin, a three-year starter for the program, needed 64 career games to record his 1,000th point.
The son of Warren Wilson College head women’s basketball coach Robin Martin, in her 10th season at the helm of the Owls, is the leading scorer for the resurgent Warhorses. His 20.6 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game set the standard for the 11-3 team.
Martin led the way with 30 points and added 7 assists and 6 rebounds in Tuesday’s conference win. His ability to “do whatever it takes to win games” has played a key role in the program’s success, according to third-year head coach Joe Valencia.
“This means a lot to the team, because we come out here as a family, and with Asante you’re talking about somebody who doesn’t come out here with individual goals,” he said. “When he comes in the game, he’s looking to get everybody else going, then he will elevate scoring, as needed. That’s what makes this amazing, because he isn’t a guy who comes in looking at stats.”
Martin has hit or eclipsed the 30-point mark seven times, including a career-high 42 points in the season opener against South Caldwell, since putting on an Owen uniform. He has recorded six double-doubles in his career and a triple-double last December, against Brevard.
Asante Martin became the first Owen basketball player to record 1,000 career points, Jan. 21, in a victory over Draughn. Photo by Fred McCormick
As the program’s first 1,000-point scorer since Noah Moore in 2019, the milestone reflected Martin’s commitment to the program.
“It was never a huge goal of mine, but it’s nice because it’s a reminder that my hard work is paying off, but I have to keep grinding,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of personal goals, because as a team, we just want to win.”
He credits Valencia, whose time on the bench coincides with Martin’s playing career, for believing in him.
“He’s put so much trust in me,” Martin said of the coach. “He’s had me up here playing since my freshman year, and he’s worked with me every summer. He put so much faith in me that I had to believe in myself, too.”
The 5-foot-11-inch guard finds ways to maximize his athleticism and conditioning, according to his coach.
“He does everything,” Valencia said. “He leads from a defensive standpoint, because every night he guards the opponent’s best player, big or small, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to force shots, because his work puts him in position to score throughout the game.”
Owen junior Asante Martin leads the11-3 Warhorses with 20.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Photo by Fred McCormick
Martin’s passion for the game strengthens his bond with his teammates, according to the coach.
“The team wanted this more for him than he wanted it for himself, and that says a lot about this team,” Valencia said. “They share and share and share the basketball to get easy baskets, so his success is really a reflection of doing things the right way.”
Senior forward Jared Kelley was proud to be on the court to witness the accomplishment.
“I see Asante as a brother, so to see him do something that not a lot of high school players get to do is a great feat,” he said. “We’re all proud of him.”
Owen is in the midst of its best basketball season since 2016, having won 11 of its last 12 games and tied for first place in the Western Highlands Conference. They will host Mitchell at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, the first of seven straight conference matchups to close out the regular season.
“We have to keep believing in ourselves, and what we’ve done all year,” Martin said. “We know we can be the best in the conference, no matter what anybody else says. We just have to stay true to what we’ve been doing all season.”