Sixth annual Myrtle Beach Invitational begins with exciting games right away

CONWAY, S.C. (November 21, 2024) – Why save the best for last? The sixth annual Myrtle Beach Invitational started with a thriller in the opening game, as Middle Tennessee used a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation and a defensive stop at the end of overtime to defeat Ohio 83-81, setting the stage for what figures to be an exciting 12-game, three-day tournament.

“I’m proud of our team,” Middle Tennessee coach Nick McDevitt said. “Not just happy with the win, but how we won. We were tough in the right way and at the right moments. We never showed panic.”

With the Blue Raiders trailing 75-72, forward Kamari Lands drained a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. The game remained close throughout the extra session, with neither team leading by more than three points.

A 3-pointer by Jestin Porter, who finished with a game-high 24 points, gave Middle Tennessee a two-point lead late in overtime. The Bobcats had a chance for a buzzer-beating trey to win the game, but AJ Brown’s shot rimmed out.

“They made one more play than we did,” Ohio coach Jeff Boals said. “We had a great shot to win it. We got what we wanted. Unfortunately, we came up on the short end.”

Brown led the Bobcats in scoring with 19 points. AJ Clayton added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Jackson Paveletzke tied the Myrtle Beach Invitational record for assists in a game with 11.

In his return to Coastal Carolina, Middle Tennessee forward Essam Mostafa turned in a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds). Essam played for the Chanticleers from 2020 to 2023.

“He’s said several times that he was excited about returning home,” McDevitt said. “He had a heck of a career here. Walking into the arena and the practice gym has been neat, and I see people recognize him. It’s put a smile on his face.”

South Florida 74, Portland 68: The tension continued in the tournament’s second game, as South Florida and Portland battled back and forth until the final minute. A steal and driving layup by freshman CJ Brown gave the Bulls a 69-65 lead with 1:32 remaining, and then they made five free throws over the final 31 seconds to seal the win.

USF had a balanced performance, with the five starters scoring between 13 and 9 points each and three starters grabbing six rebounds. Max Mackinnon led the way for Portland with 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

Bradley 82, Texas State 68 – Bradley used runs of 11-0 and 9-0 in the first half to build a 44-24 lead on the way to an easy victory over Texas State. The Braves shot a sizzling 54 percent in the first half (14-of-26), then cooled only slightly in the second (50 percent, 13-of-26). Texas State, meanwhile, managed just 28 percent shooting in the first half (9-of-32) before doubling that in the second (56 percent, 14-of-25).
Christian Davis led the way for Bradley, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range and finishing with 21 points. Darius Hannah had 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Duke Deen added 12 points and 8 assists. Kaden Gumbs was the top scorer for Texas State with 19 points, followed by Tylan Pope with 15 and Tyrel Morgan with 14.
Wright State 80, Princeton 62 – Brandon Noel came one rebound short of a double-double as hot-shooting Wright State posted a surprisingly easy victory over Princeton. The Raiders sank 53 percent of their shots from the field, including 52 percent of their 3-pointers (12-of-23), while Princeton struggled through a 35 percent shooting performance.
Noel finished with 27 points and 9 rebounds for Wright State, and Logan Woods went 5-for-6 from 3-point range and scored 18 points. Xaivian Lee was the only player to score double figures for Princeton, finishing with 14 points.