The Basketball Tournament has begun in Pittsburgh, which will host four games in its day one slate.
Ahead of the debut of the 2024 edition of Best Virginia, TBT kicks off in Pittsburgh with a game between the Dubois Dream and the Penn State alumni team, the Happy Valley Hoopers.
Quarter 1
With 3:30 remaining in the first quarter, Dubois leads Happy Valley 16-15. Coming out of the timeout, both teams score before David Shriver makes two inside for Dubois to tie the game at 20.
In the last minute of play, Trent Buttrick misses his first of two free throws but makes the second. Both teams take turns trying to score before Dubois gets possession and kills the clock. The Hoopers steal the ball but get it taken right back for the last shot of the quarter, a three in the left corner, which hits the front of the rim and bounces out.
Happy Valley leads 21-20 entering the second quarter.
Quarter 2
Samuel Sessoms gets the first points of the second, pulling up off the dribble for a three to extend the Happy Valley lead to 24-20. Dubois turns the ball over, and Buttrick knocks down a deep mid-ranger off the left wing to extend the lead to six. Jones scores a fadeaway in the paint Jawaun Daniels makes a layup off the John Harrar assist to force a timeout at 30-20.
Trey Moses scores the first points of the quarter for Dubois, which are immediately countered by Curtis Jones. Michael Weathers scores inside and helps force the stop to push for another Dubois bucket, this time by Persons. Curtis Jones once again counters to keep a 37-29 Happy Valley lead.
Out of the timeout, the Hoopers and Dream trade baskets to increase the score to 43-35 with 1:50 remaining before Weathers shuts down Greg Lee with a monster block to force a timeout.
Jones scores again for Happy Valley to extend the lead to 10. Neither team can score for several possessions until Weathers grabs a defensive rebound and scores a layup in transition for Dubois with just over 40 seconds remaining.
Taylor Persons knocks down a three to bring the deficit to five at halftime. Happy Valley inbounds the ball, and the buzzer sounds.
The Happy Valley Hoopers lead the Dubois Dream 45-40 at the half.
Quarter 3
Dubois forces a John Harrar turnover to start the half, but David Shriver can’t convert on the other end to start scoring. A Curtis Jones miss from three turns into a John Harrar offensive rebound and drawn foul, attributed to Trey Moses. Harrar misses the first and makes the second. Happy Valley leads by six.
Happy Valley’s leading scorer Samual Sessons cuts in through the right side for a layup to make the second half score 3-0 in favor of Happy Valley, but Shriver hits a three to match it.
Greg Lee makes Happy Valley’s first three of the half. Persons makes two on the other end on an acrobatic finish, and Lee makes another. Weathers makes a layup, and Shriver knocks down another three to cut the Happy Valley lead to three.
Weathers scores another layup to cut the deficit to one before a Jake Biss foul triggers the media timeout. Happy Valley leads 53-52 with four minutes left in the third.
Trent Buttrick hits both free throws before Happy Valley stops on the other end. Jawaun Daniels cuts in off the right corner to draw the attention of Curtis Jones, who hands off the ball at the rim for a Happy Valley layup.
Sessoms makes another two, matched by Michael Weathers’ right hook shot from in front of the basket, assisted by Marcus Weathers.
After a Greg Lee layup, 6-foot-8 Dominic Robb drives in for a thunderous two-handed slam before blocking Happy Valley at the other end. The Hoopers score, but Robb does the same for a significant minute of contribution to end the third.
Happy Valley leads Dubois 64-58.
Quarter 4
Until 7:30 left in the game, Marcus Weathers’ one free throw was the only point of the fourth quarter. Greg Lee ended it, scoring for Happy Valley before the Dream made two on the other end in the form of two more Marcus Weathers free throws.
Weathers fouls John Harrar, who knocks down Happy Valley’s first two free throws of the quarter. Harrar has five points in the game.
Happy Valley adds five to its lead after regaining possession on a loose ball gone out of bounds. Sessoms made three then missed another shot from distance, which was tipped in by Harrar. The Hoopers lead Dubois 73-61.
Myreon Jones grabs a steal and scores in transition before Harrar makes another bucket inside to bring Happy Valley’s lead to 16.
Happy Valley ends the fourth quarter up 79-64, making the target score 87.
Final Period
Marcus Weathers makes the first points, knocking down a three after traded possession from Happy Valley and Dubois. Dubois is playing a tight half-court trap in this period.
Greg Lee makes a three after another make from Dubois. The Happy Valley Hoopers lead 82-70.
Out of the timeout, Dubois scores inside and nearly forces a turnover, but Michael Weathers goes out of bounds to give the ball back to Happy Valley. Curtis Jones knocks down a three and warrants a response from Marcus Weathers, who commits a technical foul and causing a Happy Valley free throw. The Hoopers need one to win the game.
Persons scores inside, and Dubois grabs a couple of steals, leading to a Weathers bucket, but John Harrar comes inside quick to end the game, 88-77.
