ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - Bloomfield advanced to the finals of the YES USVI Basketball Tournament after narrowly defeating West Virginia State University (WVSU), 84-82 on Saturday. The thrilling clash was close down to the very end and the Bears improved their overall record to 6-4 with the win while the Yellow Jackets slipped to 6-5 on the season after the loss.
After a hearty island breakfast, Bloomfield was sluggish out the gate as WVSU scored nine unanswered points to begin the contest. The Bears came out of hibernation to answer with a 13-3 push to take the lead (13-12). Bloomfield clawed out a, 44-42 edge by halftime which proved to be the difference in the game as both teams scored 40 points in the 2nd half.
Deavion Ellis led the way with a game-high, 24 points on a lights-out, 10-for-18 shooting performance from the field. The junior guard also recorded his first double-double of the season with a game-high, 10 boards to go along with 3 assists and a steal. Freshman guard,
Starrell Hearns went a perfect, 5-for-5 from the freethrow line and finish the game with 15 points while redshirt-sophomore guard,
Al Fatir Connor rounded out the Bears top scorers with 13 points in the semifinal thriller.
Bloomfield moves on to the final round of the tournament and will face Virginia State University on Sunday, December 17. The Championship game is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm at the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center.
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