Yorktown Routs Marshall in Holiday Tournament Opener

In the second game of Tuesday night's triple header, the Marshall Statesmen were able to hang around with Yorktown for a while, but in the end the Patriots were just too much to handle.  Nicko Esherick led Yorktown with a season-high 20 points, while sophomore center Nick Yore tallied 14 and Kevin Bailey added 10 off the bench.  Mo Samantar and Aaron Aggen led Marshal with 10 and 8 points, respectively.

Yorktown came out in the 2-3-zone defense that has been a staple of their program for many years, but unlike many opponents, Marshall looked prepared to attack against it.  Aggen knock down his first three-point shot and nice interior passing led to a couple more easy baskets.  Marshall jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but it would be short lived. 

"We came out flat," Yorktown coach Rich Avila reflected.  "It took us a while to figure out how to dissect their defense."

Yorktown closed the quarter on 12-4 run, and maintained a double-digit lead though most of the second quarter.  Samantar responded with a pair of 3-pointers amidst and 11-2 Marshall run that cut the lead to 26-20, but that was the closest the Statesmen would get.

In the second half, Yorktown put on a clinic of unselfish, disciplined basketball.  Scrappy full-court defense created easy baskets, and 7 different Patriots contributed points in the period.

"Once we figured out that we could score easier with our passing instead of our dribbling, we really got going," Avila added.

Entering the final quarter of play up 19, Esherick and Yore exploded on offense, combining for 16 points in the first 4 minutes of the period.  Yorktown ran way with the game, winning by a final score of 72-42.  Still, Marshall head coach Dan Hale remained positive. 

"I think we battled really well" he said. "To be in the game with an experienced team like Yorktown in the 3^rd quarter means we're doing alright.  Now we just have to build on it moving forward and keep getting better."

Avila, whose team has won 4 straight after starting 0-4, was also focused on the road ahead. 

"We've had some injuries," he said. "We're just keeping our fingers crossed that we stay healthy and can keep it going."

Marshall will face George Mason at 3:30 tomorrow, while Yorktown will take on Fairfax at 5:30.