Men of Mackey advance, 83-74
Post-game press conference
The Men of Mackey withstood a couple of runs by the Ballinteers (a team of mostly former Tennessee players) to advance in The Basketball Tournament with a 83-74 victory in a game played at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. Having last trailed 7-6 in the first quarter, the Men of Mackey built a 23-11 lead after the first period, and were never seriously threatened again. Its biggest lead was 19 on several occasions.
Kelsey Barlow led the Men of Mackey with 19 points in 28 minutes. Other double figures scorers were Robbie Hummel with 13 (27 minutes), Ra'Shod James with 12 (20 minutes) and Isaac Haas with 11 (23 minutes). Frank Gaines also added 11. Lewis Jackson had a basket but added six rebounds and six assists in just over 18 minutes of floor time. Only Ty Nash, who played collegiately at Notre Dame, had more boards for the Men of Mackey. Nash had a game-high nine rebounds. TBT veteran Josh Selby posted a game-high 20 points in the losing effort for the Ballinteers.
With the victory, the Men of Mackey will advance to TBT Round of 32 and will face the No. 1-seed Carmen's Crew (Ohio State) at 4 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN. Carmen's Crew defeated Mid-American Unity 77-65 to advance to Sunday's matchup.
David Lighty, Jr. led four Carmen's Crew players in double figures with 19 points as the Ohio State alumni squad broke open a tied score at halftime. Lighty, who helped Carmen's Crew to the 2019 TBT title, went 8-for-12 from the field. Kosta Koufos (16 points, 10 rebounds) and 2019 All-TBT honoree William Buford (14 points, 10rebounds) also played big roles in the win.
The Men of Mackey will likely face a hostile crowd in the 3,700 seat facility which is the home to Ohio State's volleyball program.
A.J. Hammons and Jon Octeus missed the game due to an ankle injury and health protocols, respectively. Coach Ryne Smith hopes to have them both back for Sunday's matchup. Jacquil Taylor's TBL team advanced to the finals, so he didn't join the team when it opened it's pre-tournament camp on July 19.
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