By Tommy Kane

Published: July 22nd, 2018

Volume II: Issue XXXXI

Boeheim’s Army squared off against the South Jamaica Kings and Team Fancy in the first and second rounds of TBT. In the first match, the Army won without any trouble, 90-72. However, the Army struggled against a tough Team Fancy. Coming down to the Elon Ending, Demetris Nichols shot a game-winning three pointer, pushing the Army to the Super 16. The final score was 60-55. Let’s take a look and break-down each game individually.

What is the Elam Ending?:

If you know what it is, then go to the next section. The Elam Ending is a universal way of ending each TBT match this year. When the clock has four minutes left in the fourth quarter, a target score will be determined. The score is determined by adding seven points to the leading team. For example, if the score is 70-66, 77 will become the target score. This target score will take effect after the next dead ball. The first team to hit or surpass the target score wins the game. This guarantees that every match will end on a ‘buzzer-beater’, making the games much more exciting down the stretch.

Slow Start, But a Killer Win:

Boeheim’s Army won their first round match against the South Jamaica Kings, 90-72. The match took place at the Steinberg Center in Brooklyn, New York. It was a slow start in the beginning of the game, but Boeheim’s Army took control in the fourth quarter, giving them a 27 to 17 run in that quarter. During the first half, the team seemed to not be able to run away with the game. Whenever Boeheim’s Army would score and look to gain a lead, the Kings would just create smart comebacks to stun the Army. At halftime, Boeheim’s Army led by only two points; not too impressive at all.

The man who took control of the game, especially in the second-half, was John Gillon. He was a beast, scoring 32 points and going nine for ten from the field. He also hit six of seven three-pointers. The small point-guard gave full effort and left the Kings in a defensive shock, unable to do anything productive to stop him. Another big factor from the Army was Demetris Nichols. He was able to get 19 points, with 15 of them coming from behind the arc. Brandon Triche played unselfishly and earned four assists as well. He played smart team basketball and helped lift the Army to the next round.

As a team, Boeheim’s Army shot 47.3% from the floor, just under 50%. The offense clearly put on a clinic and showed just how versatile and dominant it could be. On the defensive side, the Army played well. They only allowed the Kings to shoot 38.7% from the floor. The great defense also forced 12 turnovers and had four blocks and seven steals. Overall, Boeheim’s Army showed just how great of a #1 seed they are, and how big of a threat they can be in future games. It was a very impressive game for sure, despite the slow start!

In regards to team performance, Coach Ryan Blackwell said, “Considering Hakim and Arinze arrived yesterday (July 21st) we played ok.. little flat on defense in the first half but to their credit they shot it well. Defensive movements have to be better and we need to establish our bigs inside a little more and find open guys quicker.”

Scary Finish for the Army:

Say what you want, but the second round match against Team Fancy was less than impressive from Boeheim’s Army. A cat and mouse game until the end, neither team seemed to be able to take control of the tempo and lead. It also was a horrendous game when it came down to shooting the ball, especially from the three-point strike. Boeheim’s Army led the half, 30-29, a scary first half indeed. The second half wasn’t any better, but a huge rally from the team and a crucial three-pointer from Nichols won the game for the Army.

Boeheim’s Army only made three three-pointers out of 21 (21.4%). Following that, they only shot 43.4% from the field. The offense was horrific compared to the first round match. Gillon was once again a game-changer for the Army, scoring 12 points with six assists. He was able to facilitate the action throughout the game, especially in the fourth quarter. Nichols also played well (last shot), scoring a team high of 13 points.

Defensively, Boeheim’s Army played pretty well. They limited Fancy to 55 points, and only shot 32.8% from the floor. The game was much like a typical Syracuse game: a defensive grind. Arinze Onuaku was a beast defensively, blocking two shots in the match. In total, Boeheim’s Army blocked five shots and force seven turnovers, despite having eight to their credit. With these stats, it is evident that defense kept the Army in this game, because offense seemed to be at a stand-still for much of the action. Nonetheless, defense wins championships!

Super 16:

Now that Boeheim’s Army have won the first two rounds, they advance to the Super 16. They will face the #4 seed Armored Athlete on July 28th at 1 PM. The match will be played in Atlanta, Georgia. The winner of the game will move on to the Quarterfinal to play either the Golden Eagles or the Talladega Knights. That game will be on July 29th at 1 PM at the same location. It should be an interesting one. As always, GO CUSE!

Stats:

https://www.thetournament.com/bracket

Interview with Coach Ryan Blackwell Via Facebook