Zoo Crew advances to TBT Regional Final with 91-79 victory against Best Virginia

When former Pitt player Nike Sibande was asked Monday night if he’s a better player now than at the end of his final season 16 months ago, he didn’t hesitate with his answer.

He tapped the side of his head with his right index finger.

“Personally, I think I grew a lot, just up top, the mind part,” he said. “Playing overseas (Turkey and Greece), it teaches you a different style of the game. I learned a lot here at Pitt, a lot. Going over for a year and seeing the game from a different perspective, it added to (it).”

While helping lead the Zoo Crew to a a 91-79 victory against Best Virginia on Monday in The Basketball Tournament at Petersen Events Center, Sibande looked like a smarter player. But he also played with a a bit more explosiveness than when he was scoring 401 points in 50 games at Pitt from 2020-2023.

He scored 21 points for the second consecutive game, leading the Zoo Crew into Wednesday’s Regional Final and giving the team a one-two punch with Mike Young, who led the team of mostly former Pitt players with 23 (total, 47).

“Their ability to create for themselves and for others,” Zoo Crew coach Gilbert Brown said, pointing to one of the keys to victory. “(Sibande) becomes a playmaker for us in a way that gives us an edge. Mike (having) the ability to post up and attack from the perimeter is an advantage for us.

“I’m proud of the guys. These guys stuck together. They really played for each other.”

Nelly Cummings added 17, and the Cummings/Sibande combo ended up hitting 7 of 14 3-point attempts. Cummings made two late in the game that helped lift the Zoo Crew’s lead from 74-70 to 83-70 and sent a spark through the crowd of 1,518.

“When he hit those 3s, it felt electric,” Sibande said. “It definitely gave me some flashbacks to when we went on our run (during the 2022-2023 season).”

The Zoo Crew led, 83-75, with 3 minutes, 50 seconds on the clock, making 91 the target score under the TBT’s end-of-game rules. The winners hit it quickly, with Young sinking the final 2-pointer on a turnaround shot on the baseline.

Yet there was more to the victory than the Zoo Crew’s 53.6% shooting percentage (30 of 56). Another key was stronger defense than players displayed in their first TBT game, a 98-95 victory Saturday against Million $ Worth of Game. The Zoo Crew scored 21 points off 18 Best Virginia turnovers.

“Just playing defense, locking down and stopping some of those second-chance points they were getting in the first half,” Brown said. “Defense, way better. I think they knew the importance of the game. It meant a little more and we played a little bit harder.”

For Sibande, it was an opportunity to gain revenge after suffering an 81-56 loss to West Virginia during the 2022-2023 season.

“We got smacked by them last time we played West Virginia,” Sibande said. “To go out there and get this win, it meant a lot to me. I got my revenge, for sure.”

The victory felt even sweeter with several of his former teammates (the current Pitt team, plus Blake Hinson and Justin Champagnie) in attendance at the Pete.

“This is a big family,” Sibande said. “This is something I never experienced in my life. The culture we created here is something that you can’t really describe. It’s so much love. Every school is not like that. Pitt’s like that.”

The victory came at price for the Zoo Crew when Jamel Artis suffered a lower leg injury late in the game.

”It’s tough to see one of our brothers succumb to injuries,” Brown said. “I pray that everything’s OK for him.”

Next up for the Zoo Crew is the Regional Final at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Happy Valley Hoopers (Penn State). Brown said he doesn’t expect a drop-off in his team’s intensity.

“West Virginia, Penn State, we don’t really particularly care for those schools. It’s a rivalry either way,” he said.

Winning one for Artis carries more importance, anyway.

”He was giving his all. He came here and sacrificed,” Brown said. “We have to keep pushing and get this thing done for him.”