Xavier alumni team Zip 'Em Up comes back for 1st-round TBT victory over Georgia Kingz
Part of the advantage going into the 2023 The Basketball Tournament (TBT) for Xavier University's Alumni team, Zip 'Em Up, was playing in front of their home fans.
In the first round of TBT on Friday night, the Xavier faithful at Cintas Center delivered in a big way down the stretch as Zip 'Em Up rallied for an 84-78 victory over Georgia Kingz.
“That’s the effect that crowd has,” Trevon Bluiett said. ”The crowd just pumped us back up. That’s what Xavier culture does. It’s nothing surprising but it’s definitely something we needed.”
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Zip 'Em Up, which entered the night as a double-digit favorite, trailed the upset-minded Georgia Kingz, 76-69, going into the Elam Ending, which adds eight points to the winning team's tally to create a target score (84). With a fired-up arena at its feet, Zip 'Em went on a 15-2 run during the final stanza to punch its ticket into the next round.
“It was really the players. We got in a huddle there at the end, they chose who they wanted on the court, offensive and defensively, and each guy made a sacrifice,” Zip ’Em Up head coach Rick Carter said. ”All credit to the guys, for sure.”
Semaj Christon, who gave Zip ’Em Up a 79-78 lead (its first since the third quarter), knocked in the game-winning jumper from 15 feet away and was mobbed by his teammates shortly after. Nate Johnson led Zip ’Em Up with 19 points off the bench, including a momentous three-pointer that made it 82-78. Johnson was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, adding three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Zip ’Em Up got a key play down low from Kerem Kanter, who finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Bluiett, the No. 2 scorer in Xavier men’s basketball history, heard “Hall-of-Famer” chants from the crowd after connecting five times from beyond the arc for 15 points. This week, Xavier announced that Bluiett and J.P. Macura were part of the school’s 2023-24 Hall of Fame Induction Class. Macura, who was yesterday was questionable for Friday’s game, started and scored seven points over 12-plus minutes.
“I got lost in Cintas again,” Bluiett said. ”The rhythm was there; the chemistry was there. It felt like the old days.” Zip ’Em Up came out of the gates strong, starting with a Bluiett triple on the game’s first possession. A pair of 10-point, first-half leads quickly disappeared as Georgia Kingz secured 15 offensive rebounds and turned them into 14 second-chance points. Buckets by Paul Scruggs and Travis Taylor tied the game at 46-46 going into the half.
Scruggs, in his first game since tearing his ACL at Xavier in the 2022 NIT, had five assists, three rebounds and two steals off the bench.
Zip ’Em Up’s thrilling comeback win sets up a Crosstown Shootout in July. The UC-based TBT team, Nasty ’Nati, defeated The Money Team (TMT) in the first round. Now the two rivals will meet at 8 p.m. Saturday night at Cintas Center with a spot in Monday’s regional championship on the line.
“Tomorrow is going to be a tough game,” Carter said. "We’re tough, they’re tough. Honestly, it’s gonna be really fun.”
Bluiett added: "The town, the fans, they are in for a treat. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier alumni team Zip 'Em Up survives 1st-round scare in TBT
