Best Virginia wins over Brotherly Love in the first round of the TBT

PITTSBURGH – Best Virginia is just five wins away from winning the $1 million prize at the Basketball Tournament (TBT).

In Best Virginia’s first game at TBT 2024 – and the first game of the Chase Harler era – the WVU alumni team Brotherly Love Pro-Am dominated with a 94-69 win in the first round of TBT’s Pittsburgh Regional at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh.

“We were very well prepared for this game,” Harler said. “We will rest and prepare for Monday.”

Led by Marcus Keene, who transferred from Sideline Cancer, Best Virginia jumped out to an 11-0 lead after the start of the game thanks to five points – including a three-point play – from Esa Ahmad, a three-pointer from Keene and a three-point play from Devin Williams.

At the end of the quarter, Best led Virginia 35-13. Keene was the leading scorer with nine points after making his first three attempts from beyond the three-point line. Xavier Bledson, another player without a West Virginia background, scored six points in the first quarter on two three-pointers.

“Keene and (Bledson), as you know, are professionals too,” Ahmad said. “So they caught on pretty quickly and we won.”

In the first nine minutes of the game, Best Virginia made 13 of its 22 shots (59.1%) and hit 6 of 11 (54.5%) three-pointers. Eight different Best Virginia players scored points in the second quarter.

By halftime, every player on the WVU alumni team had scored at least one basket. Best Virginia led 50-33 at halftime despite making 1 of 8 three-pointers in the second quarter. Ahmad and Keene were the top scorers at halftime with nine points each, and six different Best Virginia players had at least five points at halftime.

“Our mindset before the game was to close gaps and live with contested jump shots, and that’s what we did in the first half,” Harler said.

The second half went smoothly for Best Virginia after building a 17-point halftime lead. Wesley Harris went on a scoring streak and scored a game-high 15 points. Keene (12 points, two rebounds), Ahmad (12 points, seven rebounds) and Taz Sherman (11 points, three rebounds) each reached double figures.

Teyvon Myers, the only returning player from last year’s Best Virginia squad, recorded 13 assists, the most assists of the game.

Best Virginia also held Brotherly Love to 44.4% shooting (28 of 63). Only two Brotherly Love players (Langston Wilson, Sam Akano) scored in double figures.

Best Virginia now advances to the second round of the Pittsburgh Regional, which will be played Monday night at 8 p.m. ET against the winner of Saturday night’s clash between No. 2 Zoo Crew, the Pitt alumni team that hosts the Pittsburgh Regional, and No. 7 Million $ Worth of Game.