After three games in Pittsburgh on Saturday, three alumni-based teams will be back to play on Monday.
In the final game of the night, the alumni team of the hosting Pittsburgh Panthers, the Zoo Crew, will try to make the remainder of the regional filled with college representation. The two seed will take on No. 7 Million $ Worth of Money to do so. The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET. The winner will take on Best Virginia, WVU’s alumni team, on Monday.
Quarter 1
Zoo Crew is on the board first as Mike Young Jr. makes a shot inside after an offensive rebound from Nelly Cummings’ long-range miss. Erik Copes makes the second basket to tie it up before Nelly Cummings gets a jumper.
Andrew Randall pushes the pace for a layup to challenge the Zoo Crew, but Mike Young makes the next two baskets, a three pointer and layup, to make the lead 11-4 early and force a timeout from Million $ Worth of Game.
A deep three-point attempt airballs for Davis Jr., and Nike Sabande draws the foul in transition to get to the line and knock down both shots. Randall counters, posting up then opting for a post fade to cut the deficit to seven, but Sabande makes a three to put it at double digits for the first time in the night.
Copes comes inside, navigating through fallen teammates and tall Zoo Crew defenders to get two inside, but the Zoo Crew will not let Million $ Worth of Game gain an advantage, as Dustin Sleva draws a foul and knocks down a three for a four-point play to get Zoo Crew to 20 points.
Eli Cain makes back-to-back threes as the Zoo Crew all but matches them with five points in two possessions. Tim Guers and Andrew Randall do manage to get two inside lays that go unanswered to cut the deficit to seven ahead of the media timeout.
Shots are traded before a Mike Young three gives Zoo Crew its first advantage out of the timeout. The Pittsburgh alumni lead by eight.
Million $ Worth of Game trades its one free throw for two from Zoo Crew, but Eli Cain makes a three at the buzzer to cut the host’s lead to six at the end of the quarter. Zoo Crew leads 32-26.
Quarter 2
Cain gets the first points of the quarter, but Mike Young passes out to Ryan Luther for three before Greg Elliott knocks down his own. Elliott’s three is matched by Guers on the other end, keeping Zoo Crew up only seven through the first two minutes of the second period.
Million $ Worth of Game misses a shot, and Ryan Luther takes advantage, as he gets the outlet pass in transition from Elliott for a running two-handed dunk.
Antoinne Morgano and Anthony Lee get buckets in the same way- scoring after offensive rebounds from missed threes- but Zoo Crew fights back with baskets from Jamel Artis and Dustin Sleva. Zoo Crew leads 44-35.
Artis gets a pair of jumpers, one from inside the arc and one from a step-back outside, to push the Zoo Crew lead, but Million $ Worth of Game won’t go away, as they trail 49-41 with 3:20 remaining in the half.
No points are scored before the next timeout with 2:53 remaining in the first half.
Davis Jr. goes for a deep three out of the timeout and cannot hit it. Sibande finds Cummings in the corner, who can hit. Sibande assists to the corner again, this time to Sleva, and then finds Cummings again for three to make the Zoo Crew lead 15.
Million $ Worth of Game knocks down a few free throws, but only Zoo Crew finds the basket from the field for over two minutes, as Jamel Artis dribbles up and down the right side to get a mid-range jump shot. Eli Cain makes an and-one layup and the free throw to go with it for the final points of the half.
Zoo Crew leads Million $ Worth of Game 60-50 at halftime. Zoo Crew’s Mike Young and Dustin Sleva have 12 points each and are a combined 5-for-7 from three. Eli Cain from Million $ Worth of Game leads all scorers with 18, as he is shooting 6-for-12 from the field, 3-for-5 from three, and 3-for-3 from the line. Zoo Crew leads the game in team rebounds, 18-to-17.
Quarter 3
Mike Young makes a short jump shot on the right side of the backboard, and Stanley Davis matches it with a dunk. A spinning mid-range shot for Cain, Randall steal, and Koby Pinkney layup in a messy possession put Million $ Worth of Game as the half’s winner early.
Sibande makes a three to halt the Million $ momentum, and he makes two free throws to put Zoo Crew ahead for the half. Both teams trade baskets before a powerful two-handed slam and rim-hang from Mike Young sets the tone for a Zoo Crew run and Million $ Worth of Game timeout. Sibande scores again before the timeout.
Out of the timeout, Tim Guers knocks down a deep three from the Puma logo before Cain cuts inside through defenders for a layup. Million $ Worth of Game now trails by single digits.
Lamar Patterson pulls up for a mid-range shot to put the lead at 10 before the media timeout. Both teams lose steam coming out of it, but Million $ Worth of Game eventually cuts the lead back to single digits with a pair of Cain free throws before Young takes it back with a long two. Eli Cain has 26 points. Mike Young has 18.
Million $ Worth of Game ends the quarter by pushing for a small deficit, thanks to five quick points from Tim Guers. Young scores a layup over the defender at the buzzer to keep Zoo Crew ahead 81-74.
Quarter 4
Antoinne Morgano gets the first points of the fourth with a layup in transition, countered by Nike Sibande’s three, which is responded two by a tip-in from Randall. Andrew Randall has nine points, five assists, and two rebounds.
Million $ Worth of Game will not go away in this quarter, as Zoo Crew’s lead falls to just four points, forcing a timeout.
With the elim ending nearing, Morgano and Young trade baskets before Morgano gets to the line. He misses the first and makes the second, making the game 88-85 with one minute remaining in the timed period.
Sibande fakes the pass and goes up himself for a layup, and Cain hits a reverse layup and draws the foul for a three-point play, cutting the Million $ deficit to two as the elim ending begins.
Elim Ending
Million $ Worth of Game gets the first basket of the untimed period, matched by Sibande, and then gets to Copes inside for a 93-92 lead.
Jamel Artis hits a three in the left corner, which is responded to by an Andrew Randall layup that comes with a free throw that he misses. Both teams are three points from winning the game.
Young scores first out of the timeout. Cain goes for three but misses, leading to a Zoo Crew possession and Million $ timeout.
Young misses off an inbound pass, but Ryan Luther blocks Guers’ three-point attempt to keep Zoo Crew alive and one point from winning. Zoo Crew draws a foul and knocks down the free throw to win 98-95 over Million $ Worth of Game.
Photo from The Basketball Tournament
