The last time Syracuse faced a 15 seed, it didn’t end well for the opposition. Four months ago, the Orange took care of Middle Tennessee State with a 75-50 win in the NCAA Tournament, en route to the Final Four. The Orange stars of the past must have seen that and wanted to replicate it. Boeheim’s Army did just that with an 87-59 thrashing of 15th seeded Basketball City NYC in The Basketball Tournament.
Headlined by former SU stars such as Hakim Warrick, CJ Fair and Eric Devendorf, Boeheim’s Army is competing for this year’s $2 million prize, up from last year’s $1 million.
The Orange faithful showed up at Philadelphia’s Gallagher Center to cheer its alumni to victory. The game featured many aspects of your typical Syracuse game in the Dome. Coming out of the gate, Boeheim’s Army struggled to score (sound familiar?) and only held a 37-32 lead at the half. However, the final 20 minutes were all Orange. Boeheim’s Army outscored Basketball City NYC 50-27 in the second half to cruise to the Round of 32. The Gallagher Center was even flooded with “We want tacos” chants as the team cracked 70 points.
The scoring was evenly distributed throughout the lineup with all but two players scoring in double figures. Devendorf led the charge for the Army with 14, while showcasing his range from deep with a pair of triples. Warrick was another key contributor to the onslaught. He flirted with a double double, posting 11 points and nine rebounds.
Up next for Boeheim’s Army is the seventh seeded North Broad Street Bullies featuring Temple alums. The Owl contingent will surely come out to support its former stars with the game being in the Bullies backyard. If Boeheim’s Army comes out with a strong first half, expect the Orange supporters to drown out the homecourt advantage.
