Boheim's Army relies on balanced scoring to advance in $2 million TBT; next up is Kentucky

It was a Syracuse basketball family affair on Thursday night in Central New York, as Boeheim's Army looked to defeat Hall In, a Seton Hall alumni squad, and move on to the next round of the $2 million, winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament ("TBT"), an annual summer event that Boeheim's Army won in 2021.

Jim and Juli Boeheim were on hand. Carmelo Anthony. First-year head coach Gerry McNamara and other coaches on the SU staff. Members of the current Orange roster. The crowd was boisterous, and it was a lot of fun.

Most importantly, Boeheim's Army withstood a much better showing from Hall In, winning 81-76, to clinch a 2-0, opening-round series triumph and march on to the TBT quarterfinals. Boeheim's Army will next face a Kentucky alumni team, La Familia, on the road this Sunday afternoon, in a rematch of the 1996 national championship game, when the Wildcats bested an upstart SU squad led by All-American John Wallace.

'Cuse is in the house, omg.

Boeheim's Army defeated Hall In due to balanced scoring.

Last Tuesday on the road, Boeheim's Army crushed Hall In by 30 points, with forward Cole Swider tallying a game-high 28 points, and center Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu chipping in 17 points and 11 rebounds. Akobundu-Ehiogu played in college for UT Arlington and Memphis.

On Thursday evening inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at the Oncenter War Memorial, Boeheim's Army relied on a more balanced scoring approach, as five guys notched at least a dozen points. Swider and point guard Tyson Walker, who played collegiately at Northeastern and Michigan State, each had 15 points.

Akobundu-Ehiogu and shooting guard Buddy Boeheim both added 14 points, while wing Elijah Hughes had 12 points. For the second straight game, Boeheim's Army was without power forward Jacorey Williams (Arkansas and Middle Tennessee State), wing Wes Johnson and power forward Chris McCullough.

Conversely, Hall In had guard Isaiah Whitehead in the line-up, after he missed the first contest on Tuesday. Whitehead had 17 points. Point guard Ant Nelson paced Hall In with a game-high 20 points.

Both teams didn't shoot particularly well on Thursday in Syracuse. Boeheim's Army limited its turnovers and shared the ball well, leading 19-8 in total assists. Hall In held a 41-36 edge on the glass, but Boeheim's Army didn't get outscored in second-chance points. In fact, the Syracuse alumni squad led 13-11 in that category.

Boeheim's Army and La Familia are scheduled to tip off at 2:00 pm EST this Sunday from the Historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., with television coverage on Fox.

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