Fairfax, VA - It was a game worthy of the first-place standing that hung in the balance, and Marshall senior forwards A.J. Wallace and Chris Hines continued driving the Statesmen to a level none associated with the program can remember. The duo combined for 32 of its team's 42 second-half points Friday night as No. 5 Marshall defeated visiting Liberty District rival W.T. Woodson in overtime, 76-72.

Marshall improved to 12-0, 4-0 in the district, and Statesmen third-year coach Kevin Weeren said he couldn't find anyone at Marshall who can recall such a strong start to a season.

Friday night, it was the Statesmen's ability to finish that propelled them to victory. Trailing 59-53 with 2 minutes, 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter, following an 11-0 Woodson (8-2, 3-1) run , Hines (game-high 27 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks) and Wallace (17 points, 11 rebounds) each made a pair free throws to trim the lead to 59-57.

Marshall junior forward Krizzio Washington's driving, left-handed layup tied the score at 59. Woodson held for one shot but was unable to convert, forcing overtime.

Cavaliers junior guard Jose Olivero (team-high 22 points) knocked down back-to-back three-pointers early in the extra session, and Woodson led, 65-63. Hines and Wallace then took over and scored all of Marshall's points on an 11-2 run that gave it a 74-67 lead with 38 seconds remaining.

``I think they know when it's time to step up," Weeren said. ``That's what great players have to do."

Much of their damage in overtime was done at the foul line, where Hines and Wallace combined to shoot 9-for-10.

``It was hard, but we just had to relax and stay calm," Wallace said. ``We couldn't panic and turn the ball over like we had been doing earlier in the game."

The Cavaliers received standout performances from seniors Nick Hartigan (19 points) and Trevor Hancock (18 points). But in the end, it was not enough to offset the athleticism of Hines and Wallace, who combined to grab 15 offensive rebounds. As a team, Woodson had just four.

Though Marshall has yet to lose within the district, three of its four wins were two-point games with less than 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Experience has been the difference and was against Woodson, according to Wallace.

``If it were last year, we might have lost a game like this because we didn't know to handle tight games," Wallace said. ``But we've learned how to keep the tempo steady and not get all crazy and out of control."

Fairfax (9-2, 3-0), a 71-45 winner over Madison Friday night, is now the only other Liberty team besides Marshall without a district loss. The two teams meet next Friday at Fairfax.

Despite his team's undefeated run and string of close and dramatic victories, Weeren stopped short of proclaiming this a magic season.

``Magic seasons come with trophies and banners," Weeren said. ``We can't stop. I've seen too many teams have great starts and fizzle out. We're just trying to stay focused."