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Best Virginia set to battle Zoo Crew in second round of TBT – WV MetroNews

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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.

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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. 

Best Virginia defeated Brotherly Love, 94-69. Photo by Greg Carey

“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. 

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“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.

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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.”

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Register now: West Virginia’s largest yard sale grows with more Webster County sellers for 2026

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Register now: West Virginia’s largest yard sale grows with more Webster County sellers for 2026


Community Bulletin

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Center for Women’s Health has opened its 2026 prenatal and pregnancy classes — including Spinning Babies, breastfeeding basics and Lamaze — for expecting Upshur County families, with Lamaze offered in person or online. Read more →

This story brought to you paywall-free, courtesy of the My Buckhannon team and our community partners

BUCKHANNON – The West Virginia Largest Yard Sale is getting even larger, with more participants from Webster County this year.

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Cadence Ringer, executive director of the Upshur County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the 2026 West Virginia Largest Yard Sale will take place Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8. Registration for sellers is now open through July 26 at 11:30 p.m. Registration can be found on the Upshur County Visitor Center’s Facebook page.

“It’s been going wonderfully. As of last Wednesday, we had 30 applicants, and they keep coming in by the day. They are slowly trickling in right now, but I know we’ll have a big burst of them right before the deadline to register,” Ringer said. “The date set for the map to go live is July 31. I like to prepare for it a week in advance, to give people enough time to map out their own plan for their shopping that weekend.”

The map showing where all the sellers will be located will be available digitally this year on the Upshur County Visitor’s Bureau website. The map will also include brief descriptions of the items each yard sale will offer.

“On our registration form, I have asked them to list at least five things they’re going to be selling. Once I get them on the map, there’s an option for me to add details, so if they click on the actual location of the yard sale and read the details at the bottom, it’ll give them an idea of what that yard sale will be offering,” Ringer said. “There won’t be any photos or anything, but people can at least get an idea of what each seller will have.”

The yard sale has expanded over the year, from Upshur to Lewis and now to Webster County.

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“We decided last year to add Webster County to this and to try and get them going,” Ringer said, but the numbers were low. “This year, we have had quite a few from Webster County, so I’m excited to actually get it spreading into that area as well.”

She said people who go out to shop are all looking for something different, but you can always find a little bit of everything.

[FMG] [2026-02-02] Emergency Weather Repairs 1

“There are people looking for a lot of clothes. That’s what a lot of people prepare for the upcoming school year by going yard saling,” Ringer said. “I’m a yard saler myself, so I go looking for those hidden treasures, and I really think that’s what this is about — finding things they don’t make anymore, or antiques of some sort, some decorations. They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so that’s what it’s about: just finding the treasure.”

Ringer said the event also brings in visitors from outside the area and encourages them to shop and eat at local businesses in Buckhannon.

“I think the most important thing to highlight is that this is a collaboration between the three counties — it drives our economy,” Ringer said. “I know some people see it as annoying that traffic is going on, or that there’s a bunch of people around, but it also gives families the opportunity to buy things secondhand and to prepare for the upcoming school year. Maybe some families can’t afford to purchase new things. It also drives the economic boost for our restaurants and other locations downtown.”



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Photos show first pieces of West Virginia’s America250 Wheel arriving at state capitol

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Photos show first pieces of West Virginia’s America250 Wheel arriving at state capitol


The first pieces of the America250 Wheel that is set to be a focal point of West Virginia’s Capital City Celebration arrived Thursday morning. Once constructed, the wheel is expected to be the world’s tallest portable Ferris Wheel at 230 feet tall. It will feature 45 gondolas and offer views up to 14 miles from the top. (WCHS)



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Morrisey announces more than $700,000 to support rural domestic violence and sexual assault victims

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Morrisey announces more than 0,000 to support rural domestic violence and sexual assault victims


Community Bulletin

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Center for Women’s Health has opened its 2026 prenatal and pregnancy classes — including Spinning Babies, breastfeeding basics and Lamaze — for expecting Upshur County families, with Lamaze offered in person or online. Read more →

This story brought to you paywall-free, courtesy of the My Buckhannon team and our community partners

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced $701,410 in grant funding to strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking in rural communities across West Virginia.

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“Every West Virginian deserves to live free from violence and abuse, regardless of where they call home,” said Morrisey. “These grants help ensure victims in our rural communities have access to advocacy, shelter, crisis intervention, and other critical services when they need them most. Supporting victims and holding offenders accountable remains an important priority for our administration.”

The funding, provided through the West Virginia Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program, will help organizations expand victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, court accompaniment, community outreach and coordinated local response efforts in rural areas throughout the state.

The grants are administered by the Justice and Community Services Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services.

Recipients include:

West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. — $186,670: Funding will continue services provided by co-located advocates serving victims of domestic violence in rural communities across West Virginia.

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Women’s Aid in Crisis, Inc. — $150,612: Funding will support advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals and court accompaniment for victims in Barbour, Randolph and Tucker counties.

Family Refuge Center — $136,897: Funding will provide victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals and court accompaniment for survivors in Greenbrier County.

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Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center — $132,283: Funding will support a Rural Domestic Violence Specialist serving the Eastern Panhandle through victim advocacy, housing assistance, community referrals and coordinated response efforts.

Branches Domestic Violence Shelter (Huntington) — $94,948: Funding will support a Domestic Violence Specialist serving Mason County by providing victim advocacy, referrals to community resources, housing assistance and coordination with local response teams.



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