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Brothers double dips Morrow to win the Dynaspheres Cup 9-Ball Memorial Day Shootout

Josh Brothers

If it had been a horse race, the trio of Josh Brothers, Shayne Morrow and Russell Redhead would have yielded an outstanding trifecta payout. None favored, really, although Brothers, who won the Dynaspheres Cup 9-Ball Memorial Day Shootout this past weekend (May 28-29), was the third pick among those expressing an opinion. Ahead of him were Shaun Wilkie and Lucas Fracasso-Verner, who finished 24th and 17th, respectively, as Brothers came from the loss side to double dip Morrow, chalking up his first (recorded) event win in almost a decade; since he won a stop on the Mezz Pro Am Tour in February of 2013. The event, held under the auspices of and streamed by Billiard Sports Network (BSN Media), drew 55 entrants to Bank Shot Bar & Grill in Laurel, MD. 

“That was the great thing about this tournament,” commented BSN Media owner and event tour director, Jake Lawson. “You had two guys who were not favored on paper (finishing) 2nd and 3rd. And Shayne (Morrow; 3rd) won the hot seat.”

“So, pretty crazy weekend,” he added. “It’s why I love doing this.”

Neither of the two competitors favored in the event faced the winner. Wilkie didn’t make it out of the second winners’ side round or the third loss-side round. Fracasso-Verner won two on the winners’ side but only one on the loss side.

After an opening round bye, Brothers’ path to the hot seat match went through John Moody, Sr., Vietnam’s Tuan Chau (who would later, on the loss side, eliminate Wilkie), and eventual third-place finisher, Russell Redhead, arriving at a winners’ side semifinal against Scott Haas. Morrow, in the meantime, defeated Donald Painter, Justin Mast, Jimmy Varias and Curtis Branker to arrive at his winners’ side versus Jeff Jones, Jr.

Morrow fought a double hill battle before advancing to the hot seat match, as Brothers sent Haas to the loss side 7-2 and joined him. In his second straight double hill battle, Morrow, at 6-6, took a chance on an extraordinary, not to mention low-percentage, three-rail bank shot at the 9-ball that travelled back from what looked to be an impossible angle off the second rail to hit the 3rd rail and travel cross-table to drop into a side pocket. He was in the hot seat.

On the loss side, Jones drew Redhead, who’d followed his loss to Brothers with victories over Fred Crislip, Jr. 6-3 and a double hill win over Thomas Haas. Scott Haas picked up Eric Yoo, who was working on a four-match, loss-side streak that had recently eliminated Tuan Chau (fresh from his elimination of Wilkie) 6-4, John Newton 6-3 and Mike Miller (double hill).

Scott Haas put a stop to Yoo’s loss-side trip 6-4 and in the quarterfinals faced Redhead, who’d knocked Jones out 6-2. Redhead chalked up his last match victory eliminating Haas 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

Brothers stopped Redhead’s streak at three in the semifinals to earn himself a rematch against Morrow, waiting for him in the hot seat. Brothers took the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-4. He and Morrow battled back and forth to 5-5 and a single game for all of the proverbial marbles. Brothers won it.

Tour director Jake Lawson thanked the ownership and staff at Bank Shot Bar and Grill, as well as sponsors Dynaspheres, Championship Billiard Fabric, Lucid Ballsports (Predator Arena Light), JB Cases, Gina Cunningham (Keller Williams Integrity), East Coast Prime Meats, Integrity Cues, Break Out Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Premier Billiards, Cue Score, The League Room, American Billiard Covering, B&R Productions (Rich France & Bruce Carder), DFE Billiards Service/XLR. For information on BSN Media productions, including upcoming Dynaspheres Cup 8-Ball, 9-Ball and Juniors 9-Ball competition, visit their Web site at http://www.thebilliardsportsnetwork.com/. 

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ACUI Announces 2016 9-Ball Championships Competitors

The Association of College Unions International will be hosting its Collegiate 9-Ball Championships, June 10–12 at Arizona State University. The annual competition will bring together 27 men and 10 women competitors from 19 institutions who qualified at preliminary tournaments hosted by ACUI and partnering schools, ranging from Tempe, Ariz. to State College, Pa. The tournament will award scholarships to the top three finishers ($1,000, $500, and $250) in each division and crown the 2016 ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball champions.

 

Men's Division

 

Ryan Franklin – Arizona State University
Cameron Boesch – Arizona State University
Christopher Pineres – Florida International University
Michael Landa – Florida International University
Daniel Satinoff – Florida International University
Haiqi Wen – Georgia Institute of Technology
Jay Howell – Georgia Institute of Technology
Eric Huntemann – Lindenwood University
Tanner Nickels – Lindenwood University
Sharik Sayed – Lindenwood University
Brett Snowden – Lindenwood University
Sean Sommers – Lindenwood University
Braxton Coleman – Radford University
Dioblo Smith – Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville
Stephen Wyatt – University of Central Missouri
Ben Keeper – University of Delaware
Steven Strohmier – University of Maryland
Eric Yoo – University of Maryland
Walter Teng – University of Maryland
Giorgi Kverndaze – University of Utah
Ali Irfan – University of Utah
Wilson Dorsey – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Neight Mindham – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Scott Maloney – University of Wyoming
Logan Hawkins – University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Wilburt Cronin – West Virginia University
Ian Lake – West Virginia University

 

Women's Division

 

Brenda Bares – Florida International University
Cristina Perez – Florida International University
Megan Walker – James Madison University
Carly Fristoe – Lindenwood University
Briana Miller – Lindenwood University
Kelly Zahn – Lindenwood University
Taylor Reynolds – Lindenwood University
Kayla Jacobs – University of North Carolina – Pembroke
Jessica Anders – University of Wyoming
Ye Feng – University of Wyoming

 
For the first time, livestream audio and visual to the championship event will be available. Throughout the weekend, the tournament will be livestreaming in two locations, showcasing both the men’s and women’s matches.  Also, during the event, AZBilliards will be providing live brackets on their site.  
 
 
For more information about the event and ACUI’s billiards program, please contact Recreation and Leisure Activities Coordinator Adrena May at mayad@acui.org or the 9-Ball Director Ben Litvak at blitvak@radford.edu.