By: TBT Staff

Mountaineer Fans who packed the Charleston Coliseum on Saturday afternoon thought they were getting an easy win.

Then came an Elam Ending in which Best Virginia nearly blew a nine-point lead before Kevin Jones finished a fast break to send the home crowd into a frenzy following a 70-67 victory over WoCo Showtime, a Wofford alumni squad.

“We just tried to get something easy,” said Jones of his game-winning layup. “I saw an opportunity for a fast break.”

The Mountaineer alumni squad breathed a collective sigh of relief afterwards.

“We’re trying to get one basket,” said Tarik Philip (11 points, 10 rebounds). “We won the game. We will get better.” 

Best Virginia used its trademark defensive intensity to build an early lead in its opening-round win, the team’s first TBT appearance since 2019. 

“We just ramped up the ball pressure, and that was the difference,” said coach James Long.

Long was clear on what his squad needs to do as it advances in the tournament. 

“We’re going to be the best version of ourselves,” he said. “I like who we have, and we just need to keep getting better.”