West Virginia
Best Virginia set to battle Zoo Crew in second round of TBT – WV MetroNews
PITTSBURGH — Best Virginia and Zoo Crew’s second-round matchup in The Basketball Tournament from Petersen Events Center at 8 p.m. Monday won’t directly fall under the category of a Backyard Brawl.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the contest between West Virginia and Pitt’s alumni-based teams won’t have a similar feel to it, especially considering the majority of players and coaches from both sides have their fair share of history in the storied rivalry between the nearby schools.
“It’s how they setup the bracket on purpose,” said Best Virginia head coach Chase Harler, a Wheeling Native who played for the Mountaineers from 2017-2020. “I’m from West Virginia, so I take it a little more personal. I played against them in college and I don’t think I ever lost to Pitt. I hope to keep that tradition going.”
Harler’s Best Virginia coaching debut was a successful one Saturday afternoon, with the team racing out to leads of 11-0 and 35-13 and hardly looking back in a 94-69 victory over Brotherly Love.
Best Virginia, a No. 3 seed, put together an impressive showing in its TBT opener, but the challenge will only increase against second-seeded Zoo Crew.
Zoo Crew was put to the test and then some later Saturday, but prevailed 98-95 against Million $ Worth Of Game.
“A lot of rest and practice Sunday. Get a lot of shots,” Harler said. “Do some scouting as well. Tighten up some things on offense and continue to do what we do and that’s playing defense. Offensively, we got into the paint so much and had wide open shooters. Hoping to do that on Monday as well.”
Eight of Best Virginia’s 10 players former Mountaineers, though the two that aren’t — guard Marcus Keene and wing Xavier Bledson — are welcomed additions to the team and made their presence felt in their team debut.
Keene hit three three-pointers in the opening quarter to help set the tone in his 12-point performance, while Bledson had four triples and scored 12 points to match Keene’s scoring output.
“We have some new guys that fit perfectly for us. Since the first practice, they’ve been great for us,” Harler said.
Every BV player scored at least five points and four registered double figures.
Much of Best Virginia’s offense was orchestrated by guard Teyvon Myers, who dished out 13 assists — three more than the opposing team.
“The advantage we have in this tournament every year is the chemistry we have with WVU guys,” Harler said.
Zoo Crew led by 10 at halftime and seven through three quarters of its TBT opener, before being faced to deliver down the stretch of the Elam Ending after the game was tied at 95. A bucket from Mike Young and one free throw from Jamel Artis allowed ZC to advance on a night it surrendered better than 56 percent shooting from the field, but shot nearly 60 percent and had all five starters in double-figure scoring.
Young, a 6-foot-9 forward, led that contingent with 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting, while 6-4 guard Nike Sibande added 21.
Zoo Crew displayed no shortage of perimeter shooting in the win as well and knocked down 14-of-32 triples.
Best Virginia hopes to make things tougher on them with a spot in the regional final at stake.
The winning team moves on to face the winner of Monday’s 6 p.m. matchup between No. 1 Stars of Storrs and No. 5 Happy Valley Hoopers. That contest is at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“They say it’s a Backyard Brawl. They see I fit in,” Keene said. “I’m going to be ready. I live for that. I’ve played against teams in TBT before in their arena, between Wichita and Dayton, so I’ll be ready.”
— Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Divisions I and II are going as expected after Thursday night’s opening round in the 78th West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena. University, seeking a third straight large school title, and Parkersburg found themselves in the top two in the standings on a night dominated by pins as No. 1 seeds would beat up on No. 4 seeds.
University started the event minus two competitors. One did not make weight and the other, who won a state title a year ago, is not competing as he’s recovering from a football injury.
One competitor delivering big for the Hawks is Maximus Fortier, a junior who transferred in from Fairmont Senior. While there, he won the state title as a freshman at 144 with a final record of 41-1. He competes at 165 now and is 36-2 after winning with a first-round pin Thursday night.
“Come down, support the team and try to win,” Fortier said of his battle plan. “Wrestle the way we know how.”
Fortier and the Hawks won the Ron Mauck OVAC title, the WSAZ Invitational and West Virginia Duals during the season. He competed in two major tournaments as well. He went 2-2 in the Ironman and won his weight class in the Powerade Tournament which attracts the top teams in the nation.
“Wasn’t ready,” he said about the Ironman. “Did my thing at Powerade. It was big.”
Fortier said support at his new school grows every day.
“They treat me like family,” he said.
Strategy for the State Tournament is simple.
“Wrestle the way we know how to wrestle,” Fortier said.
University capitalized on a strong finish in the heavier weights and leads with 47 points. Parkersburg, which finished second here last year, trails with 39.5. Cabell Midland is third with 37.5 and Huntington fourth with 32.5.
Ripley is in year two in Division II. The Vikings placed sixth a year ago. They came to town as the Region 4 winner and qualified 11 with nine taking first and the other two second. Ripley leads after Thursday with 38 points thanks to wins by pin or major fall. Independence is second with 27 and Keyser third with 25.5. Cameron is the leader in Division III with 16 points.
The tournament continues Friday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the girls have their state with action starting at 8 a.m. The boys begin at 10:30.
Championship finals are Saturday night at 6:30. Wrestlers are now seeded prior to the tournament and the pill breaks deadlocks.
During the season, Ripley won the West Virginia Duals, beat Herbert Hoover twice, Point Pleasant and also got wins over Parkersburg South and Huntington.
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
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