7/19/2021 basketball Edit

TBT: Best Virginia advances to third round

Kevin Jones (left) reaches down to high-five Jonathan Holton. (Mike Lawrence/TBT)

Jared Serre • WVSports

Staff Writer

Best Virginia has shown its share of struggles during its first two games of TBT 2021, but at least the team finds a positive result.

The team of West Virginia University alumni defeated D2, a team made up of former Division II collegiate stars, on Monday 63-51, punching their ticket to the third round.

It was all Best Virginia from the get go as five early points from Kevin Jones got the team on the board. Jamel Morris, a late addition and Fairmont State alum, added eight points in the first quarter to push the team’s lead to double digits.

Best Virginia’s offensive success struggled to be replicated in the second quarter. After exploding for 22 first-quarter points, the team could muster only a mere eight prior to halftime.

D2 capitalized, scoring 14 points in the second quarter. Led by 11 points from Queens University of Charlotte alum Todd Withers, the team narrowed the score to 30-26 as the first half came to a close.

As the game went on, Best Virginia’s first quarter success appeared to be nothing more than a stroke of luck. D2 wrestled the lead away from Best Virginia roughly four minutes in, kicking off a back-and-forth battle between the two teams.

Best Virginia pulled away a bit as the third quarter buzzer sounded, entering the fourth with a three-point lead.

John Flowers opened the fourth quarter by nailing a three-pointer, which was soon followed up by one from Tarik Phillip. Best Virginia carried a 53-44 lead heading into the game’s homestretch.

With a target score of 61, Best Virginia continued to lead the way but not without a few missteps.

After Nathan Adrian missed a layup for the win, he quickly redeemed himself with a game-winning three-pointer to send Best Virginia to the next round.

Jones led Best Virginia in scoring, ending the night with 13 points. Adrian, Phillip and Morris each added in 11.

Up Next: Best Virginia will take on Team 23 on Wednesday. The winner advances to the field of eight in Dayton, Ohio.

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