James Reese V blocks during the game between Best Virginia and DuBois Dream at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Friday, July 18, 2025.
James Reese V dribbles during the game between Best Virginia and DuBois Dream at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Friday, July 18, 2025.
The crowd cheers when Best Virginia wins the game between Best Virginia and DuBois Dream at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Friday, July 18, 2025.
James Reese V blocks during the game between Best Virginia and DuBois Dream at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Friday, July 18, 2025.
James Reese V dribbles during the game between Best Virginia and DuBois Dream at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Friday, July 18, 2025.
The crowd cheers when Best Virginia wins the game between Best Virginia and DuBois Dream at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum and Convention Center in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, Friday, July 18, 2025.
Best Virginia, the WVU alumni-based team in The Basketball Tournament that began play on Saturday in the West Virginia Region at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center, turned to a non-Mountaineer for help.
James Reese V, a former Division I player for Buffalo, North Texas and South Carolina, helped Best Virginia overcome a sluggish first quarter to build a 14-point halftime lead over the DuBois Dream in a game Best Virginia held to win, 72-69.
Reese scored 16 points in the first half and helped Best Virginia stretch a 14-12 first-quarter lead into a 39-25 lead at halftime over the Dream, a team comprised of alumni from mostly Mountain East Conference schools.
The first field goal for Reese came at 7:28 of the first quarter. He followed that up with a layup at 6:09 that broke a 5-5 tie and gave Best Virginia the lead for good.
The Eastover, South Carolina, native knocked down a 3-pointer with 4:35 to play in the opening quarter that put the region co-host ahead 12-6.
A run by the Dream over the final minutes of the quarter, including the final 2:10 of the period with Reese on the bench, cut the lead to 14-12 for Best Virginia by the start of the second period.
Then Reese got hot.
By making three consecutive 3-pointers through the 3:41 point of the second quarter, Reese helped put Best Virginia back ahead by seven, 32-25.
A jump shot with 1:38 remaining in the first half gave Best Virginia a 34-25 lead, matching its largest lead of the game.
“I’m a defensive guy, so I think about just going in and setting the tone defensively,†Reese said. “Everything else just follows with that. I just try to really be a leader on the defensive side first, and then the offense just takes over.â€
Reese scored only three points in the third, but after halftime the rest of the Best Virginia lineup got involved. Best Virginia had control until late, when the Dream took the lead and closed within three points of closing out the victory.
Both Herd That and Best Virginia won their games in the TBT Tournament on Friday, July 18.Â
Two foul shots at the end by Toby Okani put Best Virginia at the 72 points needed under the Elam Ending to get the victory. The close margin made Reese’s first-half performance that much more important, Best Virginia coach Jarrod West Sr. said
“He got it going,†West said. “The good thing about it in a game like this, you can’t really determine who’s going to get the ball because of how frantic the pace is. We were able to find him, and he made a few early. We needed that big lead.â€
With one field goal in the fourth quarter, Reese still finished as Best Virginia’s top scorer with 21 points.
Rick Elmore covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-5122 or relmore@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ElmoreSports on Twitter/X.
