The Category Five team made up of Miami basketball alums earned a 74-65 victory in their inaugural game in The Basketball Tournament. The TBT is a $1 million winner take all tournament. The players on the winning team split the $1 million. Category Five is making its first TBT appearance.
Rion Brown led Miami with 18 points and made the game-winning Elam Ending three-point shot. The Elam Ending adds eight points to the leading team at the under four-minute timeout in the fourth quarter. Teams play nine-minute quarters in the TBT. Zack Johnson scored 15 and Kamari Murphy 10 for Category Five.
Johnson is the most recent Miami basketball player in the TBT. Miami added Johnson as a graduate transfer in the 2018-19 season. Category Five is made up mostly, but not entirely of Miami basketball alums. Mario Kegler who played at Mississippi State and Baylor contributed eight points in the Category Five victory.
Durand Scott who was a key player when Miami won the 2013 ACC regular season and tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal contributed nine for Category Five. Impressive balance led Category Five to the victory over North Carolina State alumni team Wolf Blood.
Watch the Game Highlights from Wolf Blood vs. Category 5, 07/24/2021 pic.twitter.com/FikwqmCr3E
— TBT (@thetournament) July 24, 2021
With the victory, Category Five advances to play the winner of second-seeded Dayton alumni team Red Scare and 15th regional seed BC Vahakni City which is referred to as a buy-in team. The victory by Category Five comes after three straight losing seasons by the Miami Men’s Basketball team.
Miami lost in the first round of the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Tournaments. The 2016 team led by guards Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan was the last time the Miami Men’s Basketball team won an NCAA Tournament game. Another familiar name on Category Five is Davon Reed who played for the 2016 Hurricanes.
Category Five was able to take control in the second half after falling behind early. A 66-55 lead entering the Elam Ending put Category Five in a good position to earn the victory. Barring an upset, Red Scare will be a formidable opponent. Category Five next plays on Sunday at 2 PM ET in Columbus, 75 miles from Dayton Arena.