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Scarlet & Gray reaches semis

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Jon Diebler
Jon Diebler

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Despite an ankle injury that kept Jon Diebler from playing in the second half, Scarlet & Gray advanced to the semifinals of The Basketball Tournament with a dominant 81-56 victory against Golden Eagles on Sunday.

David Lighty scored 23 points, and William Buford added 21 points to lead Scarlet & Gray. Jared Sullinger had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Leon Rodgers finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 boards.

In six minutes of action, Diebler was 0 for 2 and did not score. He had two rebounds, a steal and a turnover.

A 2007 Upper Sandusky High School graduate, Diebler injured his ankle early in the game and returned in the first half for a brief stint on the court but did not play in the second half. Coach Scoonie Penn said after the game Diebler was fine and could have played.

Scarlet & Gray, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region, did not need him, turning a 29-24 halftime lead into a runaway early in the second half.

Darius Johnson-Odor had 15 points, while Davante Gardner had 14 points for the No. 1 seed Golden Eagles.

One day earlier, Scarlet & Gray downed Always a Brave, 81-72. Diebler had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and added three rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes. Sullinger and Aaron Craft led Scarlet & Gray with 21 points each.

Jerome Randle’s 22 points and Walt Lemon’s 20 points led Always a Brave.

The Basketball Tournament is a five-on-five tournament in which the winning team takes the entire $2 million prize. Most players are former college stars who now play internationally, and many of the teams are made up of alumni of specific schools.

Challenge ALS, the No. 6 seed from the West region, is next for Scarlet & Gray. The teams meet in the first semifinal at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 in Baltimore. Two-time defending champion Overseas Elite faces Boeheim’s Army in the 9 p.m. semifinal. Both games are on ESPN, as is the championship game, set for 7 p.m. Aug. 3.

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