The Ville Avoids Upset, Mounts Comeback to Defeat UKnighted in TBT Opener

The Louisville men's basketball alumni team kicked off the The Basketball Tournament with a comeback win.

The Ville guard Chris Jones (11) / Jared Anderson - Louisville Report

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Just like their inaugural run in The Basketball Tournament last season, the Louisville men's basketball alumni team's second go in the TBT is starting out with a win.

Taking on the Bellarmine alumni team, UKnighted, for their TBT opener, The Ville was able to pull themselves out of a first half hole, mounting a second half comeback to capture a 79-70 victory on Saturday in front of a raucous Freedom Hall crowd.

The Ville, the No. 2 seed in the Louisville Regional, were led by double-digit scoring efforts from Montrezl Harrell, David Johnson and Chris Jones. Harrell had 20 points and nine rebounds, both of which were game-highs, while Johnson had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Jones finished with 14 points.

In front of 5,987 fans, the fourth-highest TBT single-game attendance, seventh-seeded UKnighted had The Ville on the ropes in the first half. This was primarily to some hot early three-point shooting, as they went 12-of-34 from long range, and shot 43.1 overall from the field. The Ville overcame some inconsistent early shooting to finish with a 45.0 shooting percentage, despite going just 6-of-25 from three.

The Ville's ball movement on offense and ball pressure on defense also stood out, assisting on 16 of their 27 made baskets while forcing 10 UKnighted turnovers. Meanwhile, the Bellarmine alumni posted a 9-to-10 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Ville got off to an incredibly hot start in their TBT opener, going on a 9-0 run over the first three-and-a-half minutes of the game. But despite this early showing, the momentum quickly shifted the other direction, with UKnighted proceeding to go on a 44-23 run over the next 15 minutes of play.

UKnighted trailed just 21-16 after the first quarter, but took off in the second. They caught fire from long range, going 6-of-12 on three-point attempts in the period and 8-of-18 in the first half overall. Meanwhile, The Ville shot just 14-of-33 from the field and 5-of-18 on threes in the first half, trailing by as much as 12 points with 1:34 until half.

Down the stretch of the first half, The Ville was able to salvage some momentum. They were able to string together a quick 7-0 run, trimming their deficit to 44-38 heading into halftime.

The Ville was able to maintain that momentum coming out of the locker room, going on a 9-2 run to start the third quarter. In fact, this period was dominated by the home squad, outscoring UKnighted 20 to 9. The Ville found some semblance shooting the ball and were able to connect at the free throw line, going 6-of-14 from the field and adding seven free throws. On the other end, UKnighted's red-hot shooting cooled down in the third, going 4-of-14.

This trend carried into the fourth, with The Ville hitting their stride in terms of ball movement and shooting prowess, while UKnighted was just treading water. Once the Elam Ending was triggered, The Ville held a 70-60 advantage.

During this period, the two teams took turns trading points both from the field and at the free throw line, which boded well for The Ville considering their double-digit advantage. Jones wound up scoring the final six points for them, including a fadeaway drive to the rim that clinched the game.

Next up, The Ville will progress through the Louisville Regional and take on the winner of third-seeded Sideline Cancer and sixth-seeded VBL. Tip-off is set for Monday, Jul. 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Chris Jones: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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