Sideline Cancer prepares for The Basketball Tournament title game

JOHNSTOWN — Sideline Cancer is about more than just winning basketball games.

Yes, the team is one win away from The Basketball Tournament's $1 million championship prize. But, this organization plays for the fight against cancer. The team sponsor is Hollidaysburg's Cathy Griffith. She's the president of the Griffith Family Foundation, which is an organization created in honor of Greg Griffith--Cathy's late husband. Greg lost a battle with cancer in 2011. So, Cathy is battling cancer in her husband's honor. And, part of that battle includes being a booster for a hoops squad.

All Sideline Cancer has to do is beat the Golden Eagles in The Basketball Tournament championship game, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Easy, right? Wrong. Tuesday's title match will be Sideline Cancer's fifth game in eleven days.

"We're good," said Jamel Artis, former Pittsburgh Panther and current Sideline Cancer wing player. "We're ready to play 100 percent the whole game."

The team has made this run as the 22-seed. The single-elimination tournament started with 24 teams. Now, just two teams remain.

"Both teams can feature an array of talent," said Charlie Parker, head coach of the Sideline Cancer team. "Both teams have floor-spacing abilities. Both teams have fastbreak abilities."

One squad is familiar with this territory. The Golden Eagles' roster is made up of mostly Marquette alums. They lost in the Basketball Tournament championship game last year. Sideline Cancer is a tournament regular. They've participated in the event for all seven years of its existence. But, they've never reached the title game.

"If you're not ready for seven o'clock tomorrow, then you don't know basketball," Artis said.

This year is different for Sideline Cancer. They're coming off a thrilling 67-65 semifinal win against four-time tournament champion Overseas Elite. On their way to that game, Sideline Cancer upset the tournament's eleven-seed, six-seed and three-seed. They can cap off this magical run with a win against the four-seed Golden Eagles.

"I think it could come down to a couple of key situations--late in the game--that could put us over the top," Parker said.

Tuesday's game starts at 7 p.m., and it will be televised on ESPN.

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