The Basketball Tournament

Superlatives from Overseas Elite 81-77 win over Boeheim’s Army in The Basketball Tournament

Sabrina Koenig | Asst. Photo Editor

Boeheim's Army fell in the semifinals of The Basketball Tournament to two-time tourney champion, Overseas Elite.

BALTIMORE — On Tuesday night at Coppin State University, No. 3 seed Boeheim’s Army sprung to an early 6-1 lead against The Basketball Tournament’s two-time defending champion and No. 1 seed Overseas Elite. Eric Devendorf and Brandon Triche exchanged a smile after the backcourt duo led a two-on-one game in transition to put BA up five early. The Syracuse alumni, who erupted for a 25-point comeback in the Elite Eight, looked poised for an upset from the get-go.

But backed by a balanced attack, Overseas Elite improved to a perfect 18-0 with a 81-77 victory, as seven players scored six points or more. With the loss, BA falls to 9-3 over three summers in TBT.

Here are superlatives from the game.

Turning Point: Late giveaway

Boeheim’s Army hung around all night, staying within two or three possessions throughout. After a Trevor Cooney 3-pointer made it a four-point game, BA drew as close to Overseas Elite as it had been the entire second half. But after he hit a corner 3-pointer, and grabbed a key defensive rebound, Cooney, looking to push the tempo, threw the ball into the hands of DeAndre Kane. On OE’s next possession, Kane hit a 3 that extended its lead to seven with under a minute left.



Stud: Errick McCollum II

A Division-II product, Errick McCollum II shined running the Overseas point. He hit a long 3-pointer to extend the OE lead to seven early, then hit another deep 3 before the half to keep it a two-possession game at the break. While he did not attack the basket, McCollum was effective from 15-feet and farther. McCollum, who finished 5-of-7 from deep, entered Tuesday averaging 15.5 points per game, and he upped that total with an 18-point showing.

Dud: Donte Greene

The 6-foot-11 center who scored 28 points in BA’s second-round game, using his 3-point touch and interior post moves, struggled Tuesday. In 21 minutes, he collected only four points on 1-of-6 shooting. He grabbed three boards and committed one turnover. He looked out of rhythm when he bricked a turnaround, fadeaway jumper midway into the second half. He didn’t see court time again.

Highlight: James Southerland’s two-handed jam

Down seven with slightly over 10 minutes remaining, BA guard John Gillon flashed to the corner. He faked a 3-pointer, dribbled right and tossed a chest-pass to a cutting James Southerland. Fresh off a stint with the Utah Jazz in the NBA Summer League, Southerland threw down a two-handed slam to bring BA back within five. It mirrored his highlight-reel dunk in the Round of 16, his 2017 BA debut.

Lowlight: Rick Jackson’s missed floater

With 2:30 on the clock, Trevor Cooney found space and hit Rick Jackson with a pass. From around five feet out, Jackson let a floater fly. It rimmed out. Had it gone in, BA would have pulled to within five. Instead, Overseas Elite chewed up more clock down the stretch to seal the win.





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