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Bill Bullock, owner, 413-519-1478; Tim Jensen, media coordinator, 860-394-5091

Zombies Prevail On Opening Day With Overtime Buzzer-Beater

A hoop by 2022 Mid-Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Kuran Iverson beat the buzzer and the visiting D.C. Heat.

SPRINGFIELD, MA — Opening Day of the 2023 East Coast Basketball League season for the Western Mass Zombies Sunday couldn't have been any more satisfying for the fans who thrive on excitement. A game which had a little bit of everything, from a tie score at halftime to a last-second put back which tied the game again at the end of regulation time, to a buzzer-beating jump shot by last season's Player of the Year to ensure the home team prevailed - no doubt, this game had it all.

Kuran Iverson hit a short jump shot as the clock expired in overtime, lifting the Zombies to a 117-116 victory over the D.C. Heat at the South End Community Center. The hoop enabled Iverson to finish with 32 points, tied for team high honors with newcomer Ty Flowers.

The Heat, a new franchise in the Mid-Atlantic Conference this season, seemed to be complete underdogs on paper. Just nine players made the 6-hour drive from the nation's capital, and their road trip began with a 147-128 loss to Hartford Saturday night. If the visitors were a bit shorthanded and weary, it certainly did not show in their performance.

The Zombies grabbed a 13-point lead in the second quarter, but D.C. battled back to head into intermission tied at 56-all. The Heat assumed a 2-point advantage heading into the final quarter, and appeared to have locked up a victory, leading 104-100 with four seconds remaining. Inexplicably, Antoine Taylor fouled Marcel Brown beyond the 3-point arc, giving the Zombies' co-captain three shots from the free throw line. After draining the first two, he missed the third attempt, but Iverson put back the rebound to send the game into extra time.

Despite having three of its nine suited players foul out, the Heat still clung to a 1-point margin, but Iverson sank a short jump shot as the buzzer sounded to allow Western Mass to escape with the win, sending the gymnasium into delirium.

Flowers, who starred at UMASS, had the hot hand early, nailing down four 3-pointers in the opening quarter. He wound up with seven treys, also grabbed 17 rebounds with 5 blocks.

Five Zombies scored in double figures, with co-captain Robby Jones contributing 13 points and tenacious defense. Newcomer Chris Baldwin of Springfield had 11 points, Brown finished with 10, and Baldwin and Iverson each pulled down 10 rebounds.

D.C. (0-2) received outstanding play from Khory Moore, Mortimer Berchie and Tariq Felder.

Western Mass (1-0) returns to action Saturday, hosting the Red Rose Thunder at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, and kids are free all season with an adult.

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