For Boeheim's Army, a slow start, but an easy finish over Blue Collar U

Things did not look good after one quarter, but Boeheim’s Army turned things around and ground down last year’s TBT champions, Blue Collar U, to pull off a 69-54 win in the third round of The Basketball Tournament on Friday night. Blue Collar U led 21-9 after the first period and stretched their lead to as many as 14, but the Army methodically walked them down, taking the lead with 2:20 left in the second and remained on top the rest of the way.

Once again, Grant Riller was a killer for Boeheim’s Army, shooting 12-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-5 from long range, while piling up a game-high 29 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter. Chris McCullough was the only other player in double digits for the Army, adding ten points and nine boards. Jamil Wilson also narrowly missed a double-double, posting nine points and 12 boards.

Nick Perkins was a handful for Blue Collar U, posting 19 points and snaring nine rebounds. Jeremy Harris added a dozen points, no other player mustered more than a half dozen markers.

The Boeheim’s Army defensive effort was solid and, when it was not up to task, Blue Collar U often missed open shots. The defending champs made 10-of-19 attempts from the field to open the game, then missed their next 11 en route to making just nine more field goals on the night.

That strong offensive start helped Blue Collar U build a big lead, as did the Army’s sloppy offensive play. Boeheim’s Army committed ten turnovers in the opening session, which was more points than they mustered, as they trailed 21-9 after one. The second quarter was much more to their liking, particularly a burst of 15 straight points to put the Army in front, 29-26.

The Army held on to their lead throughout the third, ranging from seven points down to a single marker, but a late 7-2 run gave them some breathing room. Riller scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, giving Boeheim’s Army their first double-digit lead of the night. Blue Collar U pulled within eight, but an 11-2 run that went into the Elam Ending phase of the game gave the Army a 66-49 lead with just one point separating them from victory. Riller tied up that loose end, draining a deep straightaway three to end the game.

Boeheim’s Army will travel to Wheeling, West Virginia to play in the TBT quarterfinals on Sunday. Their opponents will be the winner of Saturday’s game between Sideline Cancer and Herd That (2:00pm Eastern, ESPN+). Tip-off on Sunday will be at 4:00pm Eastern with ESPN2 handling television responsibilities.

Blue Collar U’s three-point shooting by quarter:

• First quarter: 4-of-6

• Second quarter: 0-of-6

• Third quarter: 0-of-9

• Fourth quarter: 0-of-7

Boeheim’s Army outscored them after the first quarter, 60-33, and a fair amount of that difference came from Blue Collar U’s long-range shooting just disappearing. They came into the game having made 25 treys in their first two outings, opened this matchup hitting 4-of-6, then missed 22 straight shots from beyond the arc.

Grant Riller might be playing the best basketball of his life. Everyone in the gym knows that Boeheim’s Army is going to frequently give him the ball to get a bucket and he does just that. Riller has scored 20, 27, and 29 points in the three games to this point and is shooting 64.6 percent from the field in TBT play.

For the second straight game, Boeheim’s Army shortened their bench. Coach Ryan Blackwell went to essentially a rotation of six players, as Rakeem Christmas, Deandre Kane, Chris McCullough, Riller, and Jamil Wilson were each credited with over 25 minutes of action. Justin Robinson was listed with 16 minutes while no other player reached double figures.

The three bigs who played the lion’s share of minutes for Boeheim’s Army (Christmas, McCullough, and Wilson) really helped dominate the final three quarters. While the trio had 26 points, 26 rebounds, and six blocks overall, they logged 23 points, 21 boards, and five rejections after the opening period.

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