Fuller wins second straight over Ussery on the Jacoby Custom Cue Carolina Tour

Michael Fuller won his second straight Jacoby Custom Cue Carolina Tour stop on the weekend of March 19-20, and for the second straight time, had to get by B.J. Ussery to do it. The $1,000-added event drew 11 entrants to Buck's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.

Unlike the last event (February), in which Fuller had been sitting in the hot seat, waiting for Ussery's return, it was, this time, Ussery in the hot seat, waiting for Fuller. Fuller had been sent to the one-loss side by George Crawford, who moved among the winners' side final four to meet and defeat Adam Stanton 8-5. Ussery, in the meantime, got into the hot seat match against Crawford with an 8-3 win over Johnny Griffin.  Ussery sent Crawford to the semifinals with an 8-4 victory that would prove to be his last.

Griffin moved over to meet Fuller, who'd received a bye and defeated Arnold Hamlet 8-1 to reach him. Stanton drew Chris Vollmar, who'd defeated John Mawyin 8-3 and Peter Benoit 8-2. Fuller locked up into a double hill battle versus Griffin, but prevailed to meet Stanton in the quarterfinals; Stanton, having downed Vollmar 8-4. Fuller then defeated Stanton 8-4, and moved into his second finals versus Ussery with an 8-5, semifinal win over Crawford.

Fuller jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the extended race-to-11 finals, but Ussery fought back to win four of the next five, knotting things at 4-4. Fuller kept edging ahead by one, two and ultimately, three games. Down by three when Fuller reached the hill, Ussery pulled, again, within two, before Fuller won the final game and his second straight stop on the tour.

Ken Curd and Ussery's names were drawn for the break and run contest with a $94 per ball pot at stake. Neither sunk a ball, which advanced the per-ball pot to $109 for the tour's next stop, April 8-9, at a location to be determined. Bill Tarlton won a $500 Limited Edition Jacoby Custom Cue in the event raffle.