In the second quarter, it was new WVU Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Jones who took center stage. The Mountaineer legend hit a 3-pointer, a jumper and a free throw to give Best Virginia a bit of breathing room at 22-16, but over the remainder of the period his team continued to struggle, finishing just 1 of 6 from 3-point range in the quarter.
As the third quarter unfolded, though, Best Virginia’s superior depth began to assert itself. Right out of the locker room, it ran off 10 consecutive points, and although Virginia Dream tried to stem the tide with a timeout, nothing helped. Best Virginia pushed its lead out to as many as 31 points in the final quarter and cruised home for the win in front of a supportive home crowd.
Jones had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead BV in both categories. Jamel Morris and Jermaine Haley had 11 points apiece, and John Flowers had 10 to join the trio in double figures. Devin Ebanks also had eight boards.
Virginia Dream, which scored just 17 points in the second half, was led by Ed Polite with 11.
Best Virginia moves on to the round of 32 to face Herd That, which defeated Founding Fathers 77-71 on Sunday afternoon. The teams will meet at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center, with the contest streamed on ESPN3.
On the opposite side of the West Virginia Regional bracket, Bucketneers and War Ready, winners of contests on Sunday afternoon, will square off at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Best Virginia overcome a sluggish start, including a 33% shooting mark from the field in the first half, to defeat Virginia Dream 75-45 in the first round of TBT 2022 in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Sunday.
The team comprised of mostly West Virginia University alumni came to life in the third quarter, outscoring Virginia Dream 25-6 to turn a 33-28 halftime lead into a 58-34 rout and making the final quarter and the Elam Ending nothing more than a formality. Leading 67-41, Best Virginia used a John Flowers 3-pointer, lay-ups from Kevin Jones and Juwan Staten and a Staten free throw to reach the target score of 75.
Best Virginia trailed through much of the first quarter and did not take its first lead until the 2:27 mark of the opening quarter, when Jermaine Haley capped a pair of transition buckets for the home team to put them ahead 11-10. Virginia Dream immediately responded with three points to go back on top at 13-11, but Best Virginia closed the quarter with five consecutive points to take a 16-13 lead.
In the second quarter, it was new WVU Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Jones who took center stage. The Mountaineer legend hit a 3-pointer, a jumper and a free throw to give Best Virginia a bit of breathing room at 22-16, but over the remainder of the period his team continued to struggle, finishing just 1 of 6 from 3-point range in the quarter.
As the third quarter unfolded, though, Best Virginia’s superior depth began to assert itself. Right out of the locker room, it ran off 10 consecutive points, and although Virginia Dream tried to stem the tide with a timeout, nothing helped. Best Virginia pushed its lead out to as many as 31 points in the final quarter and cruised home for the win in front of a supportive home crowd.
Jones had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead BV in both categories. Jamel Morris and Jermaine Haley had 11 points apiece, and John Flowers had 10 to join the trio in double figures. Devin Ebanks also had eight boards.
Virginia Dream, which scored just 17 points in the second half, was led by Ed Polite with 11.
Best Virginia moves on to the round of 32 to face Herd That, which defeated Founding Fathers 77-71 on Sunday afternoon. The teams will meet at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center, with the contest streamed on ESPN3.
On the opposite side of the West Virginia Regional bracket, Bucketneers and War Ready, winners of contests on Sunday afternoon, will square off at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
