Every single game in The Basketball Tournament comes down to a game winning shot. Those decisive shots can come from anywhere, even the free-throw line. In the Zoo Crew’s opening round game, Jamel Artis sunk a game winning foul shot to advance his team to the second round with a 98-95 victory over Million $ Worth of Game on Saturday night at the Petersen Events Center.

The victory for the Zoo Crew moves the squad into Monday’s second round opposite Best Virginia, a team comprised primarily of West Virginia alumni, setting up a summertime Backyard Brawl at The Pete.

The close nature of the game was not necessarily expected, as the Zoo Crew grabbed the lead :27 seconds into the game and held it for nearly the entire game, sometimes by double digits, but a furious second half rally by Million $ Worth of Game provided some tense moments in the game’s final moments.

The Zoo Crew was led offensively by Michael Young, who starred at Pitt from 2013 to 2017, and is the program’s seventh all-time leading scorer. Young totaled 24 points and six rebounds for the contest, and was effective from the jump. He scored 12 of his points in the first quarter to spark his team to a 32-26 advantage after the first nine minutes of the game.

It was not just Young who started hot offensively, the entire team shot at a scorching hot rate. The team made up of mostly former Panthers, shot 61% from the floor in the first half, including 11 of 20 from 3-point range.

The Zoo Crew had five players reach double figures. Nike Sibande, fresh off of his professional season in Europe, dropped 21 points. Artis provided 15, highlighted by his clutch free throw, while Nelly Cummings added 10 points. Dustin Sleva, a Pittsburgh native from Montour High School, also chipped in with 12 points on the strength of three triples.

The Zoo Crew held a 10-point advantage at halftime, but Million $ Worth of Game closed that lead quickly. Eli Cain topped Million $ Worth of Game with a game-high 34 points, as the Zoo Crew had very few answers for him.

The home team absorbed that initial blow with a quick 11-2 run highlighted by a Young dunk, and then a nice driving move by Sibande in the lane which forced the opponent to call a timeout.

At that stage of the game, Zoo Crew held a 73-58 lead, but Million $ Worth of Game closed the third quarter on a 16-6 surge to cut into the lead. Young hit a buzzer beater to end the third quarter, but the momentum of the game seemed to have shifted.

The Zoo Crew held the lead for the entire game until the format changed. TBT uses the ‘Elam Ending’ to decide its games, where the clock is turned off, and the teams play to a target score.

In the first possession of the Elam Ending, Cain drilled a 3-pointer to give Million $ Worth of Game its first lead of the game. The teams traded baskets in a hotly contested set of possessions, but a bucket from Young made it 97-95.

After a stop, Zoo Crew got the ball, and Cain was called for a foul on Artis who set the final at the charity stripe.

The win ultimately keeps Zoo Crew’s goal in tact, and that of course is to take home the one-million dollar cash prize. The team still needs to win five more contests to make that happen. Monday’s second round game will tip-off at 8:00 p.m. and will be back at the Petersen Events Center.