Best Virginia and Herd That meet again.
Last summer, Best Virginia knocked off in-state rival Herd That 89-79 to advance to the regional final. This year, the teams meet in the exact same scenario.
“Herd That, very good,” Best Virginia head coach James Long said. “They’ve added a couple pieces that change it. I’d say talent wise they’re as good as anyone in this region.”
Herd That (Marshall’s alumni team) defeated Zoo Crew (Pitt’s alumni team) on Tuesday night, 86-71. Herd That raced out to a 13-0 lead, but Zoo Crew battled back. Herd That’s led by just four with just over six minutes to play in the fourth quarter, before before responding with a 6-0 run to help them ultimately advance to the second round.
“They kind of partied on us and handled us last year,” Herd That’s Jon Elmore said of Best Virginia. “They’re a good team. They have vets and new guys and kind of revamped the roster. It’s going to be a loud environment, but revenge is on our mind and we’ll see what happens.”
A struggle for Best Virginia in their one-point victory over Dubois Dream was turning the ball over. Best Virginia had 16 turnovers, while Herd That forced Zoo Crew to turn the ball over 14 times. Long said he is not losing sleep about the offense, and wants to see steady improvement.
“I think we’re getting good organic movement this year, so I’m not really worried about the offense,” Long said.
Best Virginia was led by Erik Stevenson and Kevin Jones in their 70-68 win. The pair combined to score 38 points and grab 23 rebounds, including the game-winning three-pointer from Stevenson.
“I think it’s them figuring each other out. I’ve never been big on harping about turnovers,” Long added. “If I’m like, ‘hey, stop turning the ball over,’ they’re just going to turn it over agin. I just think it was figuring each other out.”
Herd That shared the wealth in their victory, with four players reaching double-digit point totals. Led by former Houston guard Rob Gray who scored 27 points, Herd That shot 54 percent from the field, and scored 50 of their 86 points in the paint.
Best Virginia struggled at stretches on defense, and that became troublesome for Long. In the Elam Ending, Long said he was concerned the Dream were going to exploit an area they had all game.
“I think tonight was worrisome because we were struggling with something, and I don’t know if we had an answer for it,” Long said on his team’s defense.
Best Virginia and Herd That are set to tip-off at 7 p.m. from WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia.
