Yorktown Loses Heartbreaker, Finishes 3rd in the District

The Yorktown Patriots came into last night’s game knowing a victory over Edison would put them in a three-way tie for the regular season crown. After trailing by as many as 16 in the first half, the Patriots came roaring back in the second half. In one of the best finishes of the year thus far, the lead changed hands four-times in the final minute.  Unfortunately for the Patriots, it was the Eagles who prevailed, scoring the winning basket with under tens seconds left, then added another lay up at the buzzer to win 57-54.  Nicko Esherick and Kevin Bailey both scored 18 in defeat, and Jack Earley added 13.

The Eagles had beaten Yorktown 56-28 on the road in December, and early Thursday night it looked as if a similar scoreline was on the way.  Riding the high of the senior night celebration, the Eagles came out firing, hitting from the outside and establishing an effective high-low post game.  Defensively, the length of their big men in the 2-3 zone, as well as the active hands and athleticism of their guards, not only thwarted a potent Patriot attack but also led to instant offense.  The Patriots consequentially concluded the opening quarter down 20-6.

“We got caught up in the moment,” head coach Rich Avila said.  “We were able to get a lot of long rebounds get out in transition for easy baskets.”

The Patriots turned it around in the second quarter. While the Eagles continued to pound the ball inside, they weren’t hitting their shots, and a collective effort on the glass limited second chances.  Offensively, the Patriots began to knock down shots, and were able to cut the lead to 29-19 at the half.

The Patriots came back in the third shooting from anywhere on the court, basically assuming the mindset of living and dying by the three.  Jack Early hit three in a row, and the before Edison knew what hit them it was a four-point game. 

“We were battling uphill all night,” Avila said.  “But we did a better job rebounding in the second half, and our match up zone gave them trouble.”

Kevin Bailey kept the Yorktown run going with nine points in the fourth quarter, including a huge three-pointer that gave the Patriots a one-point lead with 45 seconds remaining.  The Eagles then began scrambling to get off an open look, and when senior Khalil Jabbie caught the ball on the wing, he nailed a clutch three-pointer. 

Yorktown raced the ball down the court, and as soon as Patriot guard Esherick got some daylight, he nailed a deep ball, his fourth of the contest.  Edison coach Terry Henderson elected not to use a timeout and trusted the ball in the hands of his senior guards.  Captain Jerome Diggs lobbed the ball to Tyrone Mackall in the post, who went straight to the rack for the go ahead score.  Jabbie then picked off the inbound and Mackall scored another basket at the buzzer for good measure, as the student section raced onto the court to celebrate the thrilling victory.

“Edison was a lot of people’s preseason favorite to make it out of the northern region,” Avila explained.  “So even though the guys are dejected, its important we see tonight as a positive rather than a negative.”

The Patriots will need to stay positive, as they will now host Arlington-rival Wakefield, Monday night at 7:30 in the first round of the National District Tournament.