Martin’s Mill’s Jack Milligan, Sawyer Moore, Jak Kinder, Travis Baber, Cooper Wright, Archer Schneider and Ryder Marsh. (Brandon Ogden/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

JACKSONVILLE — Thirty-two minutes weren’t enough to send either Martin’s Mill or Grapeland to the state semifinals for the seventh time in program history.

Neither was 36 minutes.

It was a 40-minute affair as Martin’s Mill outscored Grapeland 10-1 in the second overtime to take a 53-44 victory in the Class 2A Division 2 Region III final Friday night inside John Alexander Gymnasium.

“I don’t know what to say,” Martin’s Mill head boys basketball coach Greg Jenkins said. “Both teams’ kids left it out there. Nobody deserved to lose that game. We said it before we left today. It’s 50/50 on who is going to win it. They’re as good as we are, and we’re as good as they are. We won tonight. We’re lucky. We’re just blessed.

“That is a well-coached basketball team. Coach (Clayton) Todd over there does a fantastic job. We’re lucky and very thankful to win.”

Martin’s Mill led 34-30 heading into the fourth quarter, and a quick Sawyer Moore 3-pointer put the Mustangs up 37-30. Grapeland’s Tray Gilmore and Martin’s Mill’s Archer Schneider traded buckets to put the score at 39-32 with 5:53 to play. Grapeland got triples from Bryson Johnson and Sean Walker to cut the score to 39-38 with 3:44 to play.

Martin’s Mill’s Ryder Marsh made a reverse layup, and Grapeland’s Maleek Johnson also made a layup with 2:26 to play, and that was the final field goal made in regulation. Keavy Bruins was fouled with 15 seconds left and made one of the free throws to tie the score at 41. The Mustangs got the ball to Jak Kinder for a fadeaway jumper in the lane at the buzzer, but it was off the mark, sending the game to overtime.

In the first overtime, after a jump ball on the tip-off forced a second tip-off between Mustang 5-10 guard Moore and Sandie 5-10 guard Bruins, Johnson had a steal and layup to put the Sandies ahead 43-41. Travis Baber scored with 2:30 on the clock to tie the score.

Neither team scored again the rest of the overtime. Walker took a go-ahead 3-point attempt in the final seconds, and Kinder had a last-second heave, sending the game to a second overtime tied at 43.

The Mustangs ran a designed play off of the opening tip of the second overtime that led to a quick Schneider layup.

“We executed off of the tip,” Jenkins said “We had a tip play, executed it and get a bucket out of it. That helped us. We went to Archer all night. We tried to keep going back to him. They started denying it and got some steals. What a game of momentum. Just crazy.”

Schneider then hit four free throws in a row, and Martin’s Mill held Grapeland without a field goal in the second overtime to secure the victory.

“I can’t lie, I was scared,” Schneider said. “But we came out and got it done.”

Schneider finished with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds.

“I’m just thrilled right now,” Schneider said. “I’m so proud of my team. It was a team effort. All glory to God always.”

Martin’s Mill led 11-9 after the first quarter and then opened the second quarter on a 12-0 run. Schneider scored three straight buckets and then Kinder hit two 3-pointers in a row.

Kinder’s state-record and four-year national record of 3-pointers made in a career now sits at 624 as he hit two on Friday night and finished with 8 points and seven rebounds.

Walker then hit consecutive threes to help Grapeland cut into the deficit. Martin’s Mill led 26-17 at halftime.

Walker finished with 18 points and six rebounds. Bryson Johnson had 10 points and six rebounds. Other scorers for Grapeland (24-5) were Bruins 8; Hayden Ray 3; Tray Gilmore 2; Maleek Johnson 2; and Rickie Gilmore 1.

For Martin’s Mill (34-1), Moore had 9; Baber 4; March 4; and Jack Milligan 4. Marsh also had five rebounds and four blocks.

After 13 straight games of winning every game by at least 19 points with an average margin of victory of 39.2 points per game in that span, Martin’s Mill recorded two single-digit wins this week, first a 45-38 victory over Gary on Tuesday and then Friday’s double-overtime thriller over Grapeland.

“This is playoff basketball,” Jenkins said. “You don’t get to this round and the next round and not expect the opponent just to be lights out. The kids responded.”

“The Gary Bobcats were great and then obviously Grapeland was an amazing team,” Schneider said. “But I think that’s what Martin’s Mill does. We never give up. We’re always going to fight and always going to give 100 percent. I don’t think for a moment anybody thought we were going to lose. We always kept fighting, and I’m just so proud to be a Martin’s Mill Mustang.”

Now, No. 1 Martin’s Mill will head to its seventh state semifinals — first since 2020 — to face Goldthwaite at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at China Spring High School.