LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The stars came out to see the University of Louisville alumni team in their second-round game in The Basketball Tournament at Freedom Hall Monday night.

Rajon Rondo had a baseline seat. So did Darrell Griffith. And U of L football coach Jeff Brohm.

New Cards’ basketball coach Pat Kelsey earned a ringing ovation. As did the players on his first team, who watched as a group.

Donovan Mitchell earned the loudest cheers — as well as a long string of admirers hoping for a picture or an autograph — after flying here from New York City late in the afternoon to enjoy the action.

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell greets fans in The Ville’s Round 2 TBT win over Sideline Cancer in Freedom Hall.

“I just love this place,” Mitchell said. “I love the energy in this place.”

A spirited crowd of 3,812 filled most of the lower bowl, eager to launch into C-A-R-D-S cheers as if one of Denny Crum or Rick Pitino’s teams was trying to take down Cincinnati or Memphis.

All they needed was The Ville to put an exclamation point on the evening by taking down Sideline Cancer, a determined, veteran team based in Pennsylvania with a pedigree of advancing to the final four in this $1 million, winner-take-all, 64-team tournament.

Mission accomplished — barely and dramatically.

The Ville survived four potential game-winning shots by Sideline Cancer (including a wide-open three-pointer) and escaped with a 71-69 victory on two free throws by Montrezl Harrell.

Clutch performance by a 66% career free throw shooter over eight seasons in the NBA -- even though he went on social media and apologized for his performance after the game.

It was Harrell's first trip to the line on a night when he went 3 for 10 from the field, missing a pair of three-pointers while scoring only eight points.

"It's ugly, man, but at the end of the day, it don't matter," Harrell said. "A win is a win. It's how you fight and survive. My teammates did a great job of picking me up and carrying me.

"And I had to do something for us. I'm glad at the end I could step up and knock down two free throws and we can move on to the next one."

Behind by six points in the first quarter and by four in the middle of the third quarter, The Ville coughed up a 4-point advantage at the start of the Elam Ending and trailed, 69-65.

Baskets by Chris Jones and David Johnson tied the game — and Harrell provided the game winners. He barreled into the lane and tumbled to the court after absorbing contact from two defenders. Mitchell jumped up from his baseline seat to lift Harrell up and send him to the line.

He seemed to be an unlikely candidate to make both shots -- except to his teammates. I asked Jones if he said anything to Harrell before he stepped to the line.

"No," Jones said. "What are you going to say to a guy like that?

Chris Jones

Chris Jones looks to start the offense in The Ville’s Round 2 TBT win over Sideline Cancer in Freedom Hall.

"He's been in some of the tough moments in the playoffs in the NBA, been to the Eastern Conference finals. I could go on and on and on. As you could see he got better." 

The victory put The Ville in a final 16 matchup that will be played Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Freedom Hall. The Ville will meet Team DRC, the 8-seed, which is sponsored by NFL cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

They're led by former Memphis guard Darius Washington, who once missed two of three free throws at the finish of a game the Tigers lost to Pitino and Louisville, 75-74, in the finals of the Conference USA Tournament.

TBT basketball differs from traditional basketball. Every game ends on a game-winning shot. A target score is set the first time the clock stops inside four minutes. You add 8 points to the total of the leading team.

Louisville led 63-59 when Nick Mayo made a free throw with 3:53 to play. First team to 71 would win.

That team was The Ville, although Sideline Cancer scored the first eight points of the Elam Ending before Johnson made a basket for The Ville.

Johnson finished with 18, Russ Smith had 16 and Jones scored 13 as The Ville scored the game's last eight points.

"Honestly you don't want to be in that position," Johnson said. "But that's what big-time players are made for. Everybody on the court played in Louisville jersey, or whoever didn't, played in big-time moments and you've got to go out there and capitalize, like we did."

"I promise you Wednesday night it's going to be a different effort, different team," Jones said. "I promise you that."

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