By: TBT Staff

Sideline Cancer was last year’s Cinderella. This year, the shoe is on the other foot for the West Virginia’s region’s top seed.

Maurice Creek hit a tie-breaking three-pointer to send Sideline Cancer on to Round 2 following a wild, 80-77 win over the Founding Fathers, a James Madison University alumni squad.

“I knew that he was going to knock it down,” said coach Charlie Parker of the sharp-shooting Creek.

Creek had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists in the win for Sideline Cancer, which is attempting to make a return to the title game following last summer’s run to the championship game, where they fell to the Golden Eagles.

Parker was quick to credit the Founding Fathers afterwards.

“That’s a good team,” said Parker. “We know that this tournament is filled with a lot of talent. They gave us a test.”

Sideline Cancer star guard Marcus Keene, a 2020 All-TBT honoree whose status for this year’s tournament was in question in the days leading up to the opening game, arrived earlier this morning and chipped in with 16 points. 

“It felt good,” said Keene. “I was itchy. I was watching the first games on TBT, and I thought, ‘I want to come.’”

“We’ve just got to come out more hungry and ready for that type of test,” said Parker when asked about what he learned from the opening game. “We’ve got to play defense the way that we played down the stretch.”

Creek agreed with his coach.

“They gave us a test today,” said Creek. “Now that we got through it, we will be way better.”