Dec 31, 20232 min read

Recap from the 2023 Legends of Basketball Showcase

A trio of competitive matchups highlighted the 2023 Legends of Basketball Showcase on Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland! Davidson outlasted Ohio 72-69 and St. Bonaventure slipped past Akron 62-61 to get the annual showcase started, followed by Ohio State surviving West Virginia 78-75 in overtime. It was an exciting event as all three games came down to the wire, headlined by the Buckeyes narrowly escaping the Mountaineers in a thrilling nightcap!

Davidson edged Ohio in the showcase opener as sophomore forward Reed Bailey put up a game-high 15 points and six rebounds off the bench to help the Wildcats move to 10-3 and secure a seventh straight win. Ohio senior guard Jaylin Hunter had 12 points, seven assists and four rebounds but it wasn't enough to overcome a slow start to the second half. Despite being without center David Skogman, Davidson was able to keep their recent win streak in tact.

St. Bonaventure jumped out to an early lead but Akron was able to mount a comeback before senior Mika Adams-Woods hit a game-winning bucket in the final seconds! The former Cincinnati standout is averaging a team-best 15.2 points in his first season with the Bonnies. In addition to containing Akron's frontcourt, St. Bonaventure junior center Chad Venning posted 14 points and four rebounds. Akron forward Ali Ali added a game-high 20 points in the loss.

Ohio State closed out the showcase with a memorable win over West Virginia as sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr knocked down a series of clutch shots down the stretch. Gayle racked up a career-best 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Buckeyes staved off a second half comeback to improve to 11-2. Ohio State veteran forward Jamison Battle totaled 17 points and nine rebounds, while West Virginia senior guard RaeQuan Battle recorded 24 points and 10 rebounds.

"I thought it was a game that was really back and forth, and hard fought. Neither team shot it great but credit to West Virginia. Our guys stepped up and made a lot of plays down the stretch, and I'm proud of them for that," Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said in the postgame press conference per 247 Sports. "It wasn't a road environment but West Virginia fans are unbelievable and we had great fans too. It was just a really fun neutral site environment."

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