Boeheim's Army Coasts to Victory in TBT Opener

The Army faced little resistance, as their outside shooting blew the game open early.

Boeheim's Army played the Herkimer Originals in the opening round of The Basketball Tournament Saturday, July 19, 2025 at SRC Arena in Syracuse. | Marquel Slaughter/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Boeheim’s Army had a fairly easy matchup in their opening game in the Syracuse Regional of The Basketball Tournament, handling the #8-seed Herkimer Originals at SRC Arena, 97-71.  The Army got the opening score of the evening and never trailed from there.

Buddy Boeheim and Elijah Hughes led the way, combining for 45 points and a dozen 3-pointers in the game.  Their marksmanship led the way, as the Army connected 18 times from long range in the game, getting the last one when Hughes closed the game with a final triple.

Army's barrage of 3-pointers too much for Herkimer

Boeheim’s Army drilled open look after open look, connecting on 18-of-29 3-pointers for a 62.1 percent mark.  That almost matched their overall 62.3 percent shooting from the field in the contest.

Boeheim connected on 7-of-9 shots from long range and 8-of-13 overall in piling up a game-high 24 points.  Hughes was 5-of-8 from 3-point range and 8-of-12 overall for his 21 points.  Jimmy Boeheim and Jacob Gilyard each chipped in with ten points, the latter handing out 11 assists for a double-double.

The Army held a nine-point advantage after one quarter and pushed the lead out to 48-31 at halftime.  A 13-2 start to the third quarter effectively ended the game shortly after the action resumed and the lead eventually touched 30 points in favor of the Army.

Boeheim's Army added smarts and patience to complement their physical advantages

While Boeheim’s Army had advantages in size and skill, they also relied on patience on offense when forced into the halfcourt.  They piled up 27 assists on their 38 made field goals, led by Gilyard’s 11 dimes.

Boeheim’s Army advances to the second round, where they will take on the fourth seed, We Are D3, on Monday night at 8:00pm Eastern.  We Are D3 advanced in their first round game by holding off Laynes Hope for a 75-71 victory, led by Ty Nichols (20 points), Marcus Azor (17), and Samuel Peek (14).

Boeheim’s Army played We Are D3 in the 2019 version of the tournament, pulling out a 68-65 first round victory behind Jordan Crawford’s 17 points, including 15 in the second half.

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