Best Virginia Wins TBT Charleston Regional Final 63-62, Advances to Dayton

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — During the TBT Charleston regional finals, No. 1 Best Virginia went on a run during the Elam Ending to knock out No. 2 Bucketneers 63-62.

This marks the first time that Best Virginia has won a regional in the TBT tournament. The Mountaineer-based alumni team has played in the tournament three times (2019, 2021-22).

With four minutes remaining in the game, the clock was turned off with Best Virginia and Bucketneers all tied up at 55 to begin the Elam Ending. The Elam Ending is the TBT’s way of finishing off a game. The clock turns off and the only way to win is to hit the target score. The target score is the leading team’s score, plus eight points.

The target score was 63.

Kevin Jones and Jamel Morris went on a 6-0 run to begin the Elam Ending with ___ ending the game. Bucketneers gave Best Virginia all they could handle, making a run of their own. Jones ended the game to send Best Virginia to Dayton.

Bucketneers went on an 14-4 run out of the half to swing the momentum of the game. Former ETSU guard Desonta Bradford torched Best Virginia all night. Bradford finished with a game-high of 22 points, shooting 8-of-14. As a team, they made 12-three’s.

Best Virginia didn’t help themselves throughout the night, turning the ball over 18 times.

John Flowers continued to shoot the lights out after shooting 5-of-6 from three against Herd That on Tuesday night. Flowers’ secret? Tudor’s Biscuit World in Charleston. Flowers made 2-three’s on Wednesday.

Best Virginia shot well in the first quarter but the Bucketneers switched to a 2-3 zone in the second to slow their shooting down.

Best Virginia will now head to Dayton, Ohio to play for $1 million. They will take on the winner of the Dayton regional on Friday in the opening round of TBT Championship Week. The game is set to tip-off at 9 p.m. on ESPN and Sling.