Bradley University Athletics issued the following announcement on July 25
The first day of The Basketball Tournament Illinois Regional ended in a touch of pandemonium as the Bradley alumni squad, Always A Brave, pulled off the largest comeback in TBT Elam Ending history to earn a 75-73 win against Chicago Hoopville Warriors Saturday night at Carver Arena.
The fourth game of the region's first round was on course for the day's third upset. After No. 3 seed Boeheim's Army (Syracuse alumni) rallied for a 65-53 win against No. 14 seed Forces of Seoul in Game 1, the No. 15 seed Jackson TN Underdawgs outlasted local favorite and region No. 2 seed House of 'Paign (Illinois), 64-58, in Game 2. Game 3 saw No. 11 seed Team Heartfire dominate from the start en route to a 78-65 win against No. 6 seed The Overlooked (Murray State), before the home team took the floor to cap off the day.
One of the oldest players in TBT 2021 and retired from professional basketball since 2019, former Bradley star Marcellus Sommerville, 39, led Always A Brave with 17 points and 13 rebounds, including 11 points and seven boards during the dramatic Elam Ending. The No. 10 seed and a late replacement team in the tournament field, Chicago Hoopville Warriors built a 66-50 lead with just 5:23 left in the fourth quarter and just 1:23 remaining before the Elam Ending could be triggered.
Patrick O'Bryant scored on a hook shot and then hit the first of back-to-back 3-pointers with Nate Kennell following with the second to highlight an 8-0 run in that final 1:23 before the Warriors called timeout with 3:58 remaining and still ahead 66-58 to trigger the Elam Ending and setting the game-winning target score at 74. The Warriors started the frozen time segment quickly and extended its lead to 72-59, just one basket away from ending the game. From that point, Always A Brave closed with a 16-1 run as the Warriors went 0-for-12 from the field and 1-for-4 from the free throw line with six turnovers.
After Sommerville and Brown made consecutive 3-pointers to tie the score at 73-73 both teams missed out on multiple opportunities to score the game-winner. Ultimately, the game's leading scorer, Warriors guard Anthony Harris missed a pull-up jumper from the free throw line and the rebound bounced out long to Darrell Brown, who found Sommerville all alone in the backcourt for an uncontested layup, setting off a wild celebration on the court.
Brown finished the night with 13 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals. Tony Bennett added 13 points and Kennell 12 to pace Always A Brave's double-digit scoring effort.
Four more first-round games will be played Sunday at Carver Arena with the four second-round games to follow Monday. Always A Brave will face Jackson TN Underdawgs in Monday's 8 p.m., Session 6 finale.
The Carver Arena box office will be open throughout the tournament action both Sunday (first game at noon) and Monday (first game at 1 p.m.) and tickets also are available online by visiting thetournament.com/illinois.
Original source can be found here.
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