Boeheim's Army beats Hall In to move onto TBT quarterfinals

Boeheim’s Army beat Hall In (Seton Hall alum) 81- 76 at the Oncenter on Thursday. The win means the Syracuse Alum will play La Familia (University Kentucky alumni) on Sunday in Kentucky.

What Happened

The first half got off to a slow start with neither team able to make an outside shot. Forward Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu scored the first six points for Boeheim’s Army, all coming on dunks. 3-point shooting was an issue in game one and the trend continued in game 2. Midway through the second quarter Elijah Hughes hit a long-range shot followed by Cole Swider for his first field goal. Buddy Boeheim’s first 3 dropped right before halftime giving Boeheim’s Army a 32-28 lead at the break.

The third quarter went back and forth with Hughes finding some rhythm from 3. Ant Nelson and Colby Rogers found their own momentum for Hall In as they helped trim a 13-point Orange lead to just 2. In the fourth quarter, Buddy Boeheim scored eight quick points and a three from Swider made the lead 9. With the Elam ending format, the Orange needed eight points before Seton Hall could get 17. In the end, a free throw from Tyson Walker gave Boeheim's Army the win.

Analysis:

Ball security was crucial for Boeheim’s Army who finished with fewer turnovers than Hall In. The Orange alum also scored nine more points off of turnovers and had five fast break points to Hall In’s zero. Walker (former MSU player) did well to provide a steady hand at point guard and record nine assists.

Hero: Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu

Much like the first game, Akobundu-Ehiogu was a force on both sides of the ball. He registered the first 6 points for the Orange, all on dunks. Akobundu-Ehiogu finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds. On offense, he was hard to contain especially when the guards drove. He made a key block to prevent a layup and start a fast break that would see his team take a five-point lead with five minutes left.

Zero

After an explosive game one on Tuesday, Cole Swider couldn’t duplicate the effort on Thursday. He struggled from the field and shot 4-12 from the field. Defensively he had trouble containing his man as he often had to defend the paint area. To his credit, he forced a couple fouls and made all of his free throws. Swider also made two pivotal shots in the fourth but it was a major drop off from Thursday’s 28-point performance.

What’s Next

Boeheim’s Army will travel to the Bluegrass State to face the Kentucky alumni team (La Familia) for the alumni semifinal on Sunday. The game will be single elimination with the winner moving onto the alumni final and tournament semifinal.

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