Top-seeded Eberlein Drive is moving on to the quarterfinals of The Basketball Tournament for the second-straight year after knocking off No. 2 seed Team Challenge ALS 68-67 on Saturday night in the Salt Lake Regional final in West Valley City.
Former Cal star Jerome Randle scored a game-high 18 points and Donald Sloan and Taylor Braun added 12 apiece at the Maverik Center for Eberlein Drive, which made it to the championship game last year before losing to Overseas Elite.
Team Challenge ALS, which eliminated Dave Rose-coached Team Fredette on Friday night, got 13 points apiece from Dee Bost and Marvelle Harris.
Trailing 60-58 with the Elam Ending target score set at 68, Team Challenge ALS went on a 9-2 run to get within a point of claiming the victory. However, Eberlein Drive’s Osiris Eldridge grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Braun for the winning basket.
Eight teams remain in the $2 million winner-take-all tournament, which now moves to Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. Eberlein Drive will face Carmen’s Crew on Thursday at 5 p.m. MDT on ESPN.
