Boeheim’s Army beats Hall In 82-52 in 1st game of The Basketball Tournament
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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — When Cole Swider joined Syracuse from Villanova for his senior season, he sought to be the team’s finisher. A stable constant in the midst of a roster in flux. Gerry McNamara and Buddy Boeheim made the case; his 40.2% mark from 3 combined with his work ethic positioned Swider as the next in line of Orange sharpshooters.
Instead, Swider’s college career ended differently than he’d hoped. Yes, he made good on his promise of being a finisher — his 41.1% mark from deep paced the Orange — but Syracuse missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and finished below .500 for the first time in over 50 years.
So when McNamara called Swider earlier this summer inquiring if Swider could join Boeheim’s Army for The Basketball Tournament, the choice was a no-brainer.
“I wanted to right the ship on my Syracuse career,” Swider said. “Coming back and being able to do this in front of the Syracuse community, I think could right the ship for us.”
On Tuesday, like he did in his sole season at Syracuse, Swider delivered in his TBT debut. He led BA with 28 points and shot 50% from 3 as Boeheim’s Army dominated Hall In, winning its TBT opener 82-52 and slotting it one win away from advancing to the next round. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu and Elijah Hughes followed closely behind with 17 and 12 points. Boeheim’s Army dominated on the break, scoring 24 of its points on turnovers, compared to Hall In’s four.
Boeheim’s Army moved quicker immediately. Directly from tip-off, Tyson Walker drove to the rim. Although Walker missed his layup, the 6-foot-10 Akobundu-Ehiogu was ready behind him and gently placed the ball in the basket before Hall In gained possession.
Hughes responded with five more, establishing a 7-2 lead three minutes into the quarter. While Hall In’s Terry Roberts cashed two 3s, hauling the Seton Hall alums back, it was their only lead of the night.
A Ty Nichols interception and breakaway layup flipped the score again. His basket sparked a 10-point run, setting the game’s tone. Boeheim’s Army shot 50.8% from the field compared to Hall In’s 32.8%.
BA kept the six-point lead in the second. Akobundu-Ehiogu dunked another Walker pass, and Swider drained a 3 to bring Boeheim’s Army’s lead to 31-22 before Hall In called a timeout.
Although Roberts posted 14 points in the first half, Boeheim’s Army simply had more threats. Next to Roberts, no Hall In player had more than four points. Swider led Boeheim’s Army with 16 in the first half, while Hughes and Akobundu-Ehiogu had eight points each.
By that point midway through the second quarter, each drive began to feel more like a one-sided fait accompli. If Swider’s 3-point attempt hit the rim, Akobundu-Ehiogu was there to slam it home. Even then, it wasn’t needed frequently. Swider went 3-of-6 from deep before halftime and finished the half with a buzzer-beater, putting Boeheim’s Army up 44-29.
Defensively, Boeheim’s Army suffocated the Seton Hall alums, forcing six turnovers to their three. BA capitalized on steals as well, with eight points scored off turnovers in the first half.
The third quarter was more of the same. Five minutes in, an interception left Walker with the entire court ahead of him. Up 49-33, instead of driving toward the basket, Walker stepped out for 3. He faked a shot then passed. The ball made its way to Swider, who, of course, drained it for his 20th and 21st points of the game.
The play epitomized the matchup. Despite its visitor status, Boeheim’s Army felt as if it was playing in its backyard, as Hall In mustered meager responses. The Seton Hall alums’ 12 points in the third quarter nearly matched Boeheim’s Army’s 17, but it was too little, too late.
The Syracuse alums entered the fourth quarter up 20. Stops from Hall In’s KC Ndefo and Ant Nelson slowed BA down, but a fourth alley-oop from Walker to Akobundu-Ehiogu made it 68-43.
Boeheim made a stop on Hall In’s next drive. He passed to Nichols, who took space up the court and lobbed the ball to Swider, who slammed it home for a 70-43 lead. Hughes and Nichols subsequent layups put Boeheim’s Army up 74-45 before the Elam Ending target score was set at 82.
Hall In began the ending with a five-point run, courtesy of a 3 and layup from Nelson and Rogers. Swider and Akobundu-Ehiogu quickly responded, combining for six points and moving Boeheim’s Army within two of the target score.
Dawes responded with two, and Walsh Gymnasium filled with jeers and calls for defense. But the end was inevitable, as Ty Nichols, whose 36 points for We Are D3 ended Boeheim’s Army’s 2025 campaign, finished with a floater.
It set the final nail in place for two teams who had been through a hasty start to The Basketball Tournament.
Boeheim and Akobundu-Ehiogu both had NBA summer league obligations with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, until Sunday. Boeheim’s Army had its only practice, a two-hour session at The Clubhouse, a basketball gym in New Jersey, on Monday. Despite having a roster of 11, the Syracuse alums entered Walsh Gymnasium Tuesday with eight.
Hall In, similarly, began the game without its captain Isaiah Whitehead and with just two players on its bench. With TBT’s new format, Boeheim’s Army must beat Hall In once more to advance.
“You could tell they had jitters like us,” Swider said. “I thought they went on a couple spurts where they had us on our heels; Colby Rogers, I thought, was really good.”
Rogers played 35 minutes Tuesday, and don’t brush off Swider’s observation. If basketball alone spoke for it, he’s had a habit of hitting the mark.
