Colonials Cruise on Senior Night

The Thomas Jefferson Colonials celebrated the final home game for their six seniors in style, trouncing the Marshall Statesmen 66-46. The seniors combined for 48 points in a game that got out of hand early.

Aaron Williams went out with quite possibly the best game of his career, scoring a season-high 22 points, 17 above his average. Daniel Barnes and Richard Kuzma scored 14 and 10, respectively.

It appeared early on as if the nerves of the emotional night and the energy of the boisterous student section had both teams out of sorts offensively. Each team turned it over on its first three possessions, and each began 0-for-5 from the field.

After playing the first four minutes to a 2-2 stalemate, the Colonials began to find their groove offensively, while the Statesmen continued to struggle. Jefferson’s 1-3-1 zone forced Marshall into contested shots from the perimeter, and the length of Barnes and Williams down low made going inside an even tougher task. As a result, the Statesman concluded the opening quarter with only two points.

Coach Mark Gray-Mendes finally brought on leading scorer Richard Kuzma in the second period, along with fellow junior Sameer Singh, and the duo combined for a quick 10 points, helping the Colonials establish a 29-13 lead going into the break.

In the second half, the emphasis clearly shifted from passing the ball around the perimeter, to getting it in the paint.

“We knew that to be successful against their 1-2-2 zone defense we had to get the ball inside,” Gray-Mendes explained.

Aaron Williams was the clear beneficiary of the strategic change, scoring 17 of his 22 in the second half. On three occasions when Marshall was able to score and take the momentum, the Colonials took it right back with a baseball-style outlet pass from Barnes to the streaking Williams for the uncontested layup. The Statesmen exploded in the fourth to score 26 points, but the Colonials coasted to the 20-point victory.

Gray-Mendes, the first year coach who watched his seniors grow over the years as an assistant, couldn’t say enough about what this great night meant to him.

“For years I watched them put in the effort day after day,” he said. “This was the culmination of their experience, and a great way to send them out.”

But the season is far from over for the Colonials. At 7-6, Jefferson is sitting in fifth in the Liberty District standings. However, a big win Friday night on the road at Madison and a little help from around the district could actually give the Colonials and their six seniors one last game at home.

“Madison is a great atmosphere, and a tough place to play,” Gray-Mendes said. “Were going to go out and play hard and hope to finish the best we can.”