Best Virginia will unfortunately not be bringing home the $1 million prize at the conclusion of the 2025 edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT).
The WVU alumni squad hosted the Semifinals of the 2025 TBT against Eberlein Drive at The Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, W.Va. on Thursday night after making their deepest run in the tournament yet. However, they were unable to keep the momentum moving forward and were handed an 85-77 loss by Eberlein Drive.
SEMIFINALS: Watch the Game Highlights from Best Virginia vs. Eberlein Drive, 07/31/2025 pic.twitter.com/vKDsu9nq5f
— TBT (@thetournament) August 1, 2025
The game was a closely fought contest that went back and forth, and Best Virginia kept within reach of victory and a trip to the tournament finals until the final basket was scored – they actually held a three-point lead entering the halftime break, and as the game reached the unique "Elam Ending" segment, they only trailed by two points.
However, it was Eberlein Drive that found another gear late as they outscored Best Virginia 8-2 in the Elam Ending, reaching the target score of 85 without too much pressure late from their opponent. Eberlein was led by former Arizona Wildcats standout Gabe York, who exploded for a 25 point performance in the win.
Best Virginia was led by James Reese V, who paced the team in all five games of the tournament – he finished with 15 points in the loss, marking his first game of the tournament where he scored less than 20 points. He was joined in double-digit scoring territory by Toby Okani (14), Jarrod West Jr. (10), and Will Vorhees (10).