(Game highlights by Teran Malone)
WHEELING, W.Va. — Herd That has made it known it prefers an uptempo style predicated on sound offensive spacing that allows it to thrive in transition.
Over the first half of Sunday’s round-of-8 matchup against Boeheim’s Army in The Basketball Tournament, Marshall’s alumni-based team felt the flow of the game — or lack thereof — wasn’t to its liking.
It didn’t take long for that to change in the second half, and as a result, Herd That overcame a five-point halftime deficit and pulled away for a commanding 88-71 victory at WesBanco Arena.
“There were no magic words,” said Herd That coach/GM Ot Elmore. “We just realized we hadn’t played very well and we were still in the game. We went to a smaller lineup to try and bring more energy and I’m glad it worked. I could’ve looked dumb, but it worked and we’re going to Philadelphia.”
The result sends Herd That to a TBT semifinal at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Team Heartfire at Drexel University’s John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center.
Boeheim’s Army closed the second quarter on a 6-1 spurt to hold a 38-33 lead at the intermission. But Herd That, which had 10 of its 12 turnovers in the opening half, cleaned up its offensive execution from the outset of the third quarter to go in front for good.
“We started playing with toughness and not looking for any foul calls and being strong with the ball off the first dribble,” Herd That guard Rob Gray said. “We made crisp decisions and didn’t make complicated plays. We played to our strengths individually. When you’re making the right play, most of the time you’ll take good care of the ball.”
A Jacorey Williams layup 1:30 into the second half cut Herd That’s deficit to three, and more importantly, was the start of a 17-0 run that made all the difference in the outcome. Gray followed with a three-pointer to knot the game at 40, and after Taevion Kinsey scored inside, Jon Elmore buried a triple to make it 45-40.
Williams and Kinsey scored in the paint for a nine-point advantage, before Elmore connected again from long range to make it 52-40.
Elmore’s third trey of the period made it 57-45 and was among Herd That’s 11 field goals over its first 13 second-half attempts, including a perfect 5 for 5 on threes.
Kinsey added a trey moments later and reserve guard Jarrod West made one of his own for a 65-51 lead, before a second-chance layup from Derek Cooke Jr. allowed Herd That to hold a 67-51 lead through three quarters.
“We were stagnant in the first half,” Herd That guard Jon Elmore said. “Our style is to get the ball out and run with quick actions and get easy shots. When you play against a long and athletic team like that, you don’t want them setting their defense.”
For as crisp as the offensive execution was during a third quarter in which Herd That shot 62 percent overall and made 6-of-8 threes, the team’s defense was equally imposing.
Boeheim’s Army, which made only 39 percent of its first-half field goals but scored 10 points off turnovers, was limited to 5-for-18 shooting in the third, including 1 for 6 from deep.
Boeheim’s Army got no closer than 12 during the fourth quarter and Elam Ending, and a Williams dunk at the 4:18 mark allowed Herd That to enter the Elam Ending with a comfortable 80-64 advantage.
“We got hit in the mouth and everybody has a plan until they get hit in the mouth,” Jon Elmore said. “We went into half and reloaded like we’re supposed to.”
Gray, Williams and JP Tokoto each accounted for a field goal in the Elam Ending, the latter of which left Herd That with an 86-71 lead and two points from advancing.
Following a final defensive stop, Gray buried a midrange jumper to end the game and secure his team’s spot in a semifinal.
Gray led all players with 20 points and made 8-of-13 shots. Elmore followed with 17 points and made 5-of-9 threes, while Williams and Kinsey came off the bench and contributed 16 and 15 points, respectively. Williams’ output came on 8-for-13 shooting, while Kinsey was even more efficient and made 6-of-8 shots.
“We have 12 guys that want to play the whole game, and a lot of high-level pros we have on the bench that are giving up minutes and doing whatever is best for the team at the moment,” Jon Elmore said. “Jacorey hasn’t been his best in the first couple games and there were times today when he took over the game.”
Elmore had seven of his team’s 18 assists to lead all players. Gray’s eight boards were a game-high and instrumental to Herd That holding a 42-30 rebounding advantage.
DeAndre Kane, who played collegiately at Marshall before moving on to Iowa State, led Boeheim’s Army with 15 points. Grant Riller also scored 15 in a losing effort, while Jamil Wilson added 12 and Chris McCullough contributed 10.
Boeheim’s Army made only 23-of-63 shots, including 10 of 30 after halftime.
“We’ve played some good basketball making it to the final four,” Gray said, “but I don’t think we’ve done our best yet.”
(Herd That postgame press conference)