(WKYT) – La Familia overcomes a nine-point second-half deficit to defeat Boeheim’s Army 70-66, advancing to the TBT Alumni Championship Game.
Archie Goodwin delivered a dominant performance for La Familia, finishing with a game-high 30 points, six rebounds and five assists while knocking down five three-pointers. Darryl Morsell recorded an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double and added five assists, while Cauley-Stein contributed seven points, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
Kentucky raced out to an early advantage behind Andrew Harrison, who scored the game’s first seven points. La Familia connected on four of its first five attempts from beyond the arc, while Willie Cauley-Stein set the tone defensively with two early blocks, helping the home side take a 20-14 lead after the opening quarter.
Harrison would miss the entire second half, dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Boeheim’s Army found its rhythm in the second quarter behind Ty Nichols, who provided an immediate spark off the bench. Nichols scored 18 points before halftime, helping the Orange alumni trim Kentucky’s advantage to 39-36 at the break.
Syracuse carried that momentum into the second half. Elijah Hughes and Buddy Boeheim connected on back-to-back three-pointers during a 14-3 run that gave Boeheim’s Army its first lead of the afternoon. Syracuse stretched the advantage to as many as nine points before Kentucky began working its way back into the game, eventually entering the Elam Ending trailing 61-58.
With the Target Score set at 70, La Familia took control. Kentucky opened the Elam Ending on a 9-2 run to turn a three-point deficit into a 67-63 lead. Boeheim’s Army pulled back within striking distance, but Kahlil Whitney crashed the offensive glass and threw down the game-winning putback dunk to send Kentucky into the Alumni Championship.
Nichols led Boeheim’s Army with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting off the bench. Hughes added 16 points and seven rebounds, while Buddy Boeheim finished with 14 points and three three-pointers.
With the victory, La Familia advances to the TBT Alumni Championship Game, which will be played Wednesday, July 29, at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1 at Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky will face the winner of Monday night’s Alumni Semifinal between Kansas and Wichita State Alumni.