LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — La Familia built a 17-point lead, then survived a furious comeback.
The Ville erased that deficit Saturday afternoon, pulling even in the Elam Ending and getting two chances to win the game with a 3-pointer at the end before La Familia escaped with a 72-68 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three opening-round series in The Basketball Tournament.
The Ville trailed by five with four minutes remaining in regulation before locking in defensively and carrying that momentum into the Elam Ending. Louisville climbed to 68 points, just one basket shy of the target score of 71, but couldn't connect on either of its final two attempts from beyond the arc.
Chris Jones led The Ville with 16 points, while David Johnson and Montrezl Harrell added 12 apiece.
La Familia's biggest contributions came from players who never wore a Kentucky uniform.
Darryl Morsell scored the game-winning when he slipped a screen on an inbounds play and took one step for an unguarded dunk. The Maryland product led all scorers with 17 points. He was one of four non-UK additions who played pivotal. Sean McNeil came off the bench to score 12 points, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, while James Mainor Bell (10 points) and Chris Coffey (3 points, 8 rebounds) also provided key production. Those four players combined for 42 of La Familia's 72 points.
The Ville led 21-17 after the opening quarter before La Familia seized control in the second.
Kentucky's team used a 14-0 run to flip the game, turning a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead. Andrew Harrison scored the final six points of the first half as La Familia carried a 41-33 advantage into the break.
The lead grew to 17 during the third quarter before The Ville began chipping away.
Louisville struggled from the perimeter throughout the afternoon, making just 6 of 28 shots (21.4%) from 3-point range. La Familia connected on 7 of 17 (41.2%), a decisive advantage despite the teams finishing with nearly identical overall shooting percentages. The Ville shot 42.3% from the field, while La Familia finished at 41.1%.
The Ville's defense fueled the comeback. Louisville held La Familia to just three points during the timed portion of the fourth quarter and owned a 32-24 advantage in points in the paint, but couldn't finish the rally.
La Familia outrebounded The Ville 35-32 and made 19 of 26 free throws. The Ville converted 18 of 24 from the foul line.
The series moves to Freedom Hall at 7 p.m. on Monday, where The Ville will try to even the series and force a decisive Game 3.
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