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Boeheim’s Army will take on Team 23 for The Basketball Tournament title and the $1 million winner-take-all prize.
Both teams survived tough tests in the semifinals Sunday at University of Dayton Arena, setting up an exciting battle in the championship game Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET.
Team 23 and Boeheim’s Army had each previously reached a Final Four in this tournament but came away with nothing. It could create a lot of pressure on each team to come through for a first title in 2021.
Semifinal Results
Boeheim’s Army def. Florida TNT, 66-64
Team 23 def. Blue Collar U, 78-62
Recap
Boeheim’s Army Comes from Behind to Edge Florida TNT
If you weren’t a fan of the Elam Ending before, the first semifinal might have changed that with a dramatic finish thanks to Tyrese Rice.
Both teams needed just two more points to seal the win, but it was Rice who got the steal and the bucket to give Boeheim’s Army the walk-off victory:
Rice, a former Boston College player competing alongside mostly Syracuse alumni, took over during the final stretch of the game. He scored the final 13 points for Boeheim’s Army, helping overcome a five-point deficit heading into the Elam Ending.
“My confidence [isn’t] ever going to waver in those situations,” Rice said after the game, per Anthony Alandt of the Daily Orange.
It was part of an impressive game for Rice and former NBA first-round draft pick Chris McCullough:
TBT @thetournament
TYRESE RICE JUST SCORED 8 IN A MINUTE!!!!!<a href=”https://twitter.com/BoeheimsArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BoeheimsArmy</a>: 61<a href=”https://twitter.com/FloridaTnt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@FloridaTnt</a>: 58<br><br>FIRST TO 66 GOES TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP <a href=”https://t.co/vbeQpOtqjm”>pic.twitter.com/vbeQpOtqjm</a>
This duo combined for 42 points Sunday, while no one else on the team scored more than six.
It was enough to top Florida TNT, which was coming off a 29-point win in the quarterfinal. Keith Clanton led the team with 18 points, but the squad left too many points on the table while shooting 38 percent from the field.
Boeheim’s Army then did just enough down the stretch to escape with a victory while Florida TNT will be left waiting for next year.
Team 23 Pulls Away from Blue Collar U
These two teams showcased the March Madness feel of this single-elimination tournament as two No. 6 seeds that reached the semifinals. Only one was able to keep it going into the final.
Team 23 and Blue Collar U kept the scoring margin within a few possessions nearly the entire game as each side came through with impressive offensive moments.
Just three points separated the teams at halftime and Team 23 stayed up by that same amount after the third quarter.
It took until the fourth for Team 23 to finally gain control, using a 13-2 run early in the quarter to start to pull away. It helped create a sudden 15-point advantage heading into the Elam Ending.
The game was tied at 48-48 in the third before an Eric Griffin three led to a dominant finish:
Marcus Hall eventually ended the game in style with an acrobatic finish to close on a 30-14 run.
Hall, Griffin and Walt Lemon Jr. all scored at least 15 points in a balanced effort for Team 23.
Lamonte Bearden scored 22 points for Blue Collar U, but the shooting just wasn’t there as the team finished 5-of-28 from three-point range in the loss. Former Buffalo star C.J. Massinburg was held to just 3-of-13 from the field.
Team 23 will try to maintain this high level of defense in the final against Boeheim’s Army.
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