Carmen's Crew is still alive.
The Ohio State alumni team, coached by Jared Sullinger and headlined by players William Buford and Trevor Thompson Thad Matta era and Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson and Kyle Young of the Chris Holtmann era, defeated Team Overtime 80-68 in Dayton's UD Arena to advance to the second round of The Basketball Tournament on Friday.
The Wessons led Carmen's Crew on Wednesday. Kaleb Wesson led all players in the matchup with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He also added four rebounds, two assists and made three of five free throws. Andre Wesson was as efficient as his little brother, scoring 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with five rebounds and two assists in the contest. Meanwhile, Young scored 11 points, and Keyshawn Woods added 10.
In the first quarter, Carmen's Crew showcased impressive defensive effort from start to finish, holding Team Overtime to 11 points on 36% shooting and forcing six turnovers. Scott and company also put forth a consistent effort offensively, collecting 17 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including seven baskets that involved an assist. Thomas and the Wesson brothers scored four points in the frame, and each starter recorded a helper, save for former Washington forward Malik Dime.
Carmen's Crew piled on their opponents in the second quarter – at least for the first six minutes of action. The scarlet and gray raced out to 21-12 and 29-16 leads before the squad started a turnover frenzy, allowing Team Overtime to creep back into contention. As the clock passed the one-minute mark, Team Overtime cut Carmen's Crew's lead to four, 36-32, but Woods managed to secure the final basket of the half, sending Carmen's Crew to the locker room up 38-32.
Kaleb Wesson led Carmen's Crew with 12 points at halftime, Young collected six points, and Andre Wesson, Thomas and Woods each added four. The team shot 15 of 30 (50%) from the floor and connected on 7 of 11 free throws (67%).
Carmen's Crew was relentless in the third frame. While the Buckeyes' alumni team eased their foot off the pedal at the end of the first half, that attitude was far from what occurred in the first frame after the break. With a six-point lead at the intermission, Carmen's Crew extended its lead to 20 points, 65-45, after 27 minutes of action, maintaining its 50% shooting and limiting Team Overtime to 33%.
Both teams were sloppy at the start of the fourth quarter, with Carmen's Crew looking fatigued as the clock wound down. Still, The Basketball Tournament's trademarked "Elam Ending" allowed the Buckeyes' alumni team to catch its breath, leading 72-60, as the play clock was removed and a target score of 80 was installed. From there, Carmen's Crew endured a couple of runs from Team Overtime but secured the 80-68 victory as Young scored five of the team's final eight points.
With the win, Carmen's Crew will face India Rising on Friday at 8 p.m. in Dayton. The Rising defeated the top-seeded Red Scare, 77-67, on Wednesday and knocked the top-seeded Dayton alumni team out of the tournament.
The winner of TBT 2023 will receive a $2 million prize. Carmen's Crew won the tournament in 2019 behind the efforts of Aaron Craft, David Lighty, Jon Diebler and William Buford. As the last player left from the squad, Buford – who missed Wednesday's matchup with an undisclosed ailment – will look to lead the Buckeyes' alumni squad back to the championship now four summers later in 2023.
