Ussery goes undefeated on GSBT

It was two Double-A battles between B.J. Ussery and Sam Monday on the Great Southern Billiard Tour's August 13-14 stop in Raleigh, NC, and it was two victories for Ussery, as he completed an undefeated weekend. The $1,500-added event drew 58 entrants to Brown's Billiards in Raleigh.

Ussery got into the hot seat match with a commanding 7-1 victory over Mike Fuller, as Monday was sending Norris Brady to the west bracket 11-6. In their first of two, battling for the hot seat, Ussery and Monday fought back and forth to double hill before Ussery prevailed, and waited in the hot seat for the re-match.

Over on the one-loss side, Fuller picked up Tommy Cook, who'd defeated Larry Faulk 7-3 and Ian Holt 7-4 to reach him. Brady drew George Crawford, who'd been sent west by Fuller from among the winners' side final eight and gotten by Ray Floyd 9-4 and Dylan Letchworth 9-5.

Fuller and Crawford got their re-match in the quarterfinals, after Fuller had downed Cook 11-4 and Crawford had squeaked by Brady 9-8. Crawford wreaked his vengeance on Fuller with a second squeaker, a 9-10 victory (Fuller going to 11). Crawford's four-match winning streak came to an end in the semifinals, at the hands of Monday who, after an 11-8 victory, went on to his own re-match against Ussery.

In a straight-up race to 11, Ussery took the opening set of the true double elimination final against Monday 11-8 to complete his undefeated weekend. It was Ussery's first win on the GSBT in his second 2011 appearance (he'd finished second in March at Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC). This most recent victory marked the 10th time since January that Ussery has finished either first or second on either the GSBT or the Jacoby Custom Cue Carolina Tour.

Though not included in site payouts registering dollar amounts, Chris Vollmar, Larry Faulk, Ronny Park, and Ray Floyd received free entries for their 9th place finish. Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked David Huffman and his staff at Brown's Billiards, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products, and Delta-13 Racks.