The Ville Takes Down Jackson TN Underdawgs to Reach TBT Regional Final

Facing an upset-minded Jackson TN Underdawgs squad in the second round of The Basketball Tournament, The Ville was able to avoid such a fate, coming out on top with a 79-74 victory Thursday night at Freedom Hall.

With the win, the UofL men's basketball alumni team, who is the No. 2 seed in the Louisville Regional, advances to the Round of 16 and regional final. There, a matchup with the top-seeded Gutter Cats awaits, with tip-off set for Saturday, Jul. 29 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Once agin, Russ Smith led the team in scoring with a 20-point performance. Chane Behanan added a 12-point and 11-rebound double-double, while Chinanu Onuaku nearly had one himself with eight points and 11 boards.

Two of the biggest contributors, like in the opener, were non-UofL alum. William & Mary graduate Omar Prewitt was a key factor in the second half, pouring in 13 points, while EKU alum Nick Mayo has 11 to crack double figures again. On the other end of the court, Chris Jones, a UofL alum himself, had a game-high 25 points.

The seventh-seeded Underdawgs used a pestering, physical defense to take down No. 3 Eberlein Drive earlier in the week, and that same defense nearly spelled doom for The Ville. While they did shoot 46.3 percent from the field and 8-of-24 on threes, they turned the ball over 14 times for 20 Underdawg points, and shot just 21-of-32 from the free throw line.

That being said, The Ville also played some stifling defense. They held the Underdawgs to just 36.2 percent overall and 9-of-29 from long distance, and also out-rebounded them 43-38. Like in the first game, their bench and interior presence also played a role, as 34 of their points came in the paint and 31 of came from the reserves.

The Underdawgs were primed for an upset bid from the jump. After The Ville took a four-point lead in the first three minutes, they fired off a 10-0 run to take command of the game. This early momentum was fueled mainly by Jones, who had 11 points and three made threes in the first quarter alone.

From there, The Ville shifted into chip-away mode. Going on a run proved to be hard, as the Underdawgs' stingy defense and work at the free throw line made it difficult to get over the hump. They made just four of their first 11 shots of the second quarter, while the Underdawgs sank 10 free throws in the period.

With the deficit at eight in the final four minutes of the first half, and a blowout threatening to form, The Ville finally found some momentum. Thanks mainly to Kuric and Behanan, who had a combined 14 points in the second quarter, they closed the half on a 13-5 run to head into the locker room tied at 43.

Out of halftime, both defenses locked down for the opening minutes of the second half. The Underdawgs missed their first five shots of the half, while The Ville made just one of their first seven attempts.

However, the latter eventually found an offensive groove to go along with their defensive effort. Over the last three minutes of the third quarter and first three minutes of the fourth quarter, The Ville fired off a 16-3 run. During this time, Prewitt poured in 10 points, while the Underdawgs made just a single basket in 13 tries.

The Ville led by as much as 13 points in the final quarter, but the Underdawgs were able to chip into their lead to to make it just a 71-62 advantage once the Elam Ending was triggered.

The Underdawgs hit a pair of three-pointers right out of the gates of the period, but a layup from Smith, a three from Siva and a driving dunk from Onuaku put them one point away from victory.

There was some late drama. The Ville missed three would-be game-winning free throws, and Jones went on a personal 6-0 run to put the Underdawgs within striking distance. However, Smith was able to sink the winning free throw after getting fouled.