Account
The Basketball Tournament 2021 Results: Carmen's Crew Upset by The Money Team
July 28, 2021
The Basketball Tournament continued Tuesday with a pair of games from the Columbus Region.
The opener featured Blue Collar U beating Category 5, 78-61, before The Money Team overcame an 18-point third-quarter deficit to stun Carmen's Crew, 91-89.
The victors will now square off in the regional final to determine who will be one of four participants in the tournament semifinals from Dayton, Ohio.
Until then, here's a look at how both of those games went down alongside some highlights.
Blue Collar U 78, Category 5 61
Blue Collar U took a 27-9 lead after the first quarter and never looked back en route to its 78-61 win over Category 5.
Ten Blue Collar U players scored five or more points, led by C.J. Massinburg's 13. Jeremy Harris added 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench, and Blue Collar U outscored their opponentd by 20 points with him on the court.
The left-hander hit four three-pointers, with the last one ending the game:
This game was a contrast in rotation strategies, as Category 5 primarily used just six players. Category 5 guard Shannon Bogues' 20 points led all scorers, and Zach Johnson and Davon Reed had 12 apiece.
Ultimately, Blue Collar U just shot better on this night, hitting 50.8 percent of field goals (11-of-27 from three-point range). Category 5 were not as sharp, shooting 40 percent from the field (5-of-16 from deep).
Blue Collar U are a team consisting of Buffalo basketball alumni. Category 5 are composed of Miami (Florida) basketball alumni.
The Money Team 91, Carmen's Crew 89
The Money Team trailed 73-55 in the third quarter and entered the fourth down 76-64, but they staged an epic comeback to shock the Columbus Region's No. 1 seed.
Xavier Munford, who played 20 NBA games for the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks, scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning bucket:
Jordan Crawford added 14 points and eight assists for The Money Team, who are sponsored by retired and undefeated boxing champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. Jeff Ledbetter added 14 points and five dimes.
The Money Team were down 83-73 before going on a 10-0 run to tie the game. Carmen's Crew responded with four straight points, but The Money Team responded with five of their own.
A Kosta Koufos bucket gave Carmen's Crew an 89-88 edge, but they would never get the ball back. Munford hit a free throw and then nailed the game-winning two-point jumper to hit the 91-point target score.
Carmen's Crew consists of Ohio State basketball alumni, so this group has been playing de facto home games as the No. 1 seed in the Columbus Region.
They were the favorite entering the night but lost despite shooting 59 percent from the field.
The turnover differential ultimately hurt the team, with the No. 1 seed committing 15 to The Money Team's eight. The victors scored 23 points off turnovers compared to Carmen's Crew's 11.
Koufos guided Carmen's Crew with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. William Buford scored 15 points, and David Lighty Jr. added 14.
What's Next?
Blue Collar U and The Money Team will now battle to determine the winner of the Columbus Region. That game will take place Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.