Boeheim’s Army’s 2026 TBT run ended in painful fashion Sunday, with La Familia pulling out a 70-66 win in the quarterfinals after a tense Elam Ending stretch.
The Syracuse alumni team was in position to close it out, carrying a 61-58 lead into the Elam Ending. But La Familia, the Kentucky alumni squad, tightened up defensively and found enough offense to flip the game in the closing sequence. Because this was single elimination, there was no second chance for Boeheim’s Army after the loss.
The finish came with plenty of controversy. Boeheim’s Army trailed 67-66 when Archie Goodwin drove into Tyson Walker and a charge was initially called.
La Familia challenged, and the ruling was overturned after officials determined Ty Nichols fouled Goodwin before the contact. The replay appeared to show incidental contact, but the foul stood, giving Goodwin one free throw and possession.
Boeheim’s Army still got a stop on the next trip, and with the target score set at 69 and the margin still at two, a three-pointer would have ended it. Instead, Nichols tried to get the ball to Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, who was not ready for the pass because he was setting up to screen.
A La Familia defender had his arms wrapped around him on the play. On the following possession, a put-back dunk sealed the game.
The defeat came with Boeheim’s Army operating short-handed. Eric Devendorf was out after suffering a knee injury in the previous game, Wes Johnson - who had been listed as active - was scratched late for an unknown reason, and JaCorey Williams and Chris McCullough were also unavailable. That left the team with just seven players and a clear depth problem against La Familia.
Even with the limited rotation, Boeheim’s Army showed some fight after a rough start. The first few minutes were ugly, and La Familia quickly built a 12-point lead. Boeheim’s Army clawed back enough to cut it to three by halftime.
The Syracuse group kept pushing in the third quarter, taking a four-point lead into the final frame. That edge grew to as many as nine before La Familia answered with a 6-0 run to close the gap and set up the Elam Ending finish.
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Boeheims Army heads into its quarterfinal matchup with La Familia carrying a roster picture that looks thinner than it did a few days ago. Eric Devendorf is unavailable after hurting his knee in the previous round, while Chris McCullough also will not be in uniform for Sundays game, leaving the Syracuse-backed group to adjust its rotation on the fly in The Basketball Tournament.
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Availability has already become part of the storyline on both benches, with Boeheims Army missing Eric Devendorf and La Familia dealing with Willie Cauley-Steins foot injury. Buddy Boeheim also had a brief ankle scare in practice before returning quickly, which only adds to the sense that this quarterfinal could hinge as much on who can stay upright as on which alumni group handles the pressure better in a packed Lexington setting. [Read more 🡒]