After tying the score a couple of minutes into the game, Boeheim’s Army gave up the next 14 points and simply could not come back, getting eliminated from the Basketball Tournament by The Nerd Team, 81-74 in the second round of the Syracuse regional. The Army trailed by as many as 22 points on two second quarter occasions, victimized by their sloppy defense and poor shooting.
The Nerds hit 16-of-29 three-pointers in the game, including a half dozen from Tyler Nelson, whose last triple was a bank shot that beat the shot clock and swirled around the rim twice before going through the net and ending the game. The Nerd Team shot over 53 percent in each of the first three quarters, eventually finishing with a 47.6 percent shooting mark from the field.
Boeheim’s Army never found the range from deep, making just 6-of-26 treys and shooting 37.5 percent overall. The reserve unit was particularly poor, as Jimmy Boeheim, C.J. Fair, and Andrew White III each made a single basket as they shot 3-for-18 overall.
After falling behind by 22, the Army drew within 46-31 at halftime and a Matt Morgan three-point-play to open the third quarter pulled them within a dozen. The Nerd Team pushed the margin back out to 19 points and eventually settled for a 69-52 lead headed to the fourth.
Boeheim’s Army chipped away and entered the Elam Ending phase in a 73-61 hole. The Army clipped five more points off the margin before the Nerd Team could score, then eventually clawed within 77-74.
The Nerd Team got a foul shot to pull within three points of the game-winning total of 81. Nelson had a short shot blocked out of bounds, then was able to get enough space to get an awkward shot that banked off the backboard and eventually dropped through the rim, ending the game.
Matt Morgan topped Boeheim’s Army with 19 points. Dee Bost had 17 points and Rakeem Christmas added 16 points, including a pristine 8-of-8 from the foul line, before fouling out. D.J. Kennedy chipped in with ten points.
Tyler Nelson’s 23 points led all scorers. Azar Swain added 15 points while Jordan Bruner had 13 points, including hitting all four of his tries from beyond the arc, and Jelan Kendrick contributed ten points and a game-high nine rebounds.
» Related: Boeheim’s Army wins TBT opener against India Rising
QUICK HITS
- Tyler Ennis missed the game due to back spasms. Deandre Kane made it only 80 seconds before leaving the game due to injury and D.J. Kennedy left early, but managed to fight through a tweaked hamstring.
- Five of Rakeem Christmas’ six fouls were on offense, including three illegal screens and one charge call. He was disqualified after being part of a double foul call on offense in which he was guilty of a “hook and hold” against his defender, who was also whistled on the play.
- Boeheim’s Army got four of their six three-pointers in the fourth quarter. They entered the session shooting 2-for-18 from long range, then hit 4-of-8 in the final stanza.
POST GAME
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Boeheim’s Army walks off after their second round exit to The Nerd Team pic.twitter.com/OA1PayfPqz
— SUJuice.com (@TheJuiceOnline) July 23, 2022
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