Penn State Basketball Penn State Nittany Lions forward John Harrar (21) shoots the ball while Ohio State Buckeyes defend in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)

TBT Upset: Penn State Alumni’s Happy Valley Hoopers Stunned in First Round

Originally posted on Nittany Central | By Evan Smith | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 12:40 PM ET

Happy Valley Hoopers, the Penn State Basketball Alumni team, fell to the Raleigh 919 in the first round of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) 79-75. Trailing by 15 at the half, the Penn State Alumni Team, led by Captain/GM John Harrar, rallied in the second half and cut the margin to 1, but was never able to take the lead. The team was led in scoring by Curtis Jones (16 pts), Greg Lee (13), and Myreon Jones (11). This is the third year the Hoopers participated in The Basketball Tournament, a 64-team, March Madness-style tournament where the winning team makes one million dollars (and everyone else comes away with nothing). They won the Pittsburgh regional a year ago and were the one seed in the James Madison regional this year.

What Went Wrong for Happy Valley Hoopers

Raleigh 919 was simply too hot from the floor, consistently making back-breaking mid-range jumpers. They finished shooting 50%, compared to the Hoopers 36.7%. After hot shooting a year ago, Happy Valley made just 11 three pointers on 46 (!) attempts. The tournament continues for the next few weeks and games can be seen on YouTube and Fox Sports.

This article first appeared on Nittany Central and was syndicated with permission.

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