In the rekindling of a storied rivalry, Yorktown (8-14, 2-5 HHC) defeated Delta (12-12, 2-5 HHC) 45-36 March 1 to advance to the semifinal round of sectional 24 in the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Boys Basketball State Tournament.
Yorktown head coach Matt Moulton said it was great for the Tigers to beat their rivals in the postseason.
“It does mean more,” Moulton said. “You could see the crowd, feel the atmosphere. Beating them in the regular season is good, but beating them in sectionals, now that’s something special. It’s pretty fun.”
Although Delta tied the game at 27 in the third quarter, Yorktown never trailed and held the lead for the entire game. In the final 11 minutes, the Tigers went on an 18-9 run. Moulton credits Yorktown's defense for its success.
“Defense is our thing,” Moulton said. “That’s how we win games, is with defense. Offense, it’s been a rollercoaster ride this year. [In] our games with Delta, it seems like the first team to 40 wins, so we know it’s going to be a slower pace, and we’re fine with that. Our defense is really what we hang our hats on.”
Yorktown junior guard A.J. Dunn led the Tigers with a game-high 18 points. Dunn said he took opportunities the Delta defense gave him and made the most of it.
“I was able to get a lot of free throws, had a couple [of] threes, easy layups around the rim,” Dunn said. “Just got to do whatever you can, especially against Delta, who’s notorious for great defense. You just got to take advantage of whatever you can get.”
In addition to Dunn, each of the four players in Yorktown's starting lineup combined for 25 points. Dunn said he enjoys the chemistry within the starting lineup and the different abilities each player has.
“It’s great playing with these guys,” Dunn said. “Some have put in work since they were freshman. They’ve done so much to help us in so many ways. Jacob [Grim] made some great passes and can handle the ball better than anyone else, Kieran [Tewari] knocked down some big shots. I love playing with these guys, they’re my brothers.”
Delta senior guard Neil Marshall led the Eagles in scoring in the regular season, but picked up his third foul in the second quarter and fourth in the third quarter. With Marshall in foul trouble, sophomore forward Jackson Wors scored a team-high 13 points and grabbed six rebounds. Head coach Mark Detweiler said Wors flashed his potential with his performance.
“He’s [Wors] got the ability to get downhill and finish,” Detweiler said. “We knew that was going to be a key matchup for us tonight. He, along with a lot of other players that are coming back, have a lot of potential. We’ve just got to continue to grow.”
In the final game of his high school career, Marshall finished with 10 points. Although his career didn't end in a championship, Detweiler said he's thankful for Marshall and how he carried himself on and off the court.
“He’s been a part of so many teams and so much success for us,” Detweiler said. “He’s seen a lot of growth in a lot of areas. That’s what I left him with. I said, ‘That’s why you do this. It’s not just about the championships.’ We’ve been blessed to have him a part of those championships we’ve won. All of our seniors are just classy kids.”
Sophomore guard Jayden Furney scored nine points while sophomore D’Amare Hood drilled a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter for the rest of Delta scoring.
Detweiler said despite the inexperience throughout the Eagles program, he understands what they have to work on in the offseason.
“It’s so important to do everything right,” Detweiler said. “We’ve got some guys who’ve done a lot of things well, but you just have to do everything well. You’ve got to pay attention to details, and I think that’s the biggest thing our young guys will have to work on to take that next step.”
Moulton said dealing with opposing runs has been a problem all season for Yorktown and wants the Tigers to replicate their response against Delta.
“They [Delta] made that run in the second half to tie it, and your starting to think, ‘Oh shoot, here we go again, this is our season,’” Moulton said. “But, we took off from there, we finished. I really liked that about our team. It’s what we’ve been looking for. We executed down the stretch and finished the game.”
Yorktown returns to action in the semifinals of IHSAA Sectional 24 against Muncie Burris (9-12, 1-3 Pioneer) March 4. Tipoff is 8 p.m. The Tigers defeated the Owls 71-64 Feb.10.
Contact Nate Grubb with comments at nathaniel.grubb@bsu.edu or on Twitter @GrubbNate43.
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