We Are D3 shocks Boeheim’s Army with Ty Nichols’ game-winner: Final score, recap, photos
Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Syracuse, N.Y. — Boeheim’s Army takes on We Are D3 in the second round of The Basketball Tournament at 8 p.m., Monday at SRC Arena on the campus of OCC.
Note: Refresh this page throughout Boeheim’s Army’s game vs. We Are D3 to see the latest updates
Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Final: We Are D3 81, Boeheim’s Army 78
Ty Nichols scored a tournament-high 36 points, including the game-winning runner off the glass, to pull a shocking upset in The Basketball Tournament on Monday night.
Nichols, nicknamed The Silencer on the New York City streetball courts, stunned Boeheim’s Army with a dazzling display of shot-making to send the hometown favorites and top seed in the region packing their bags far earlier than expected.
Boeheim's Army guard Buddy Boeheim (35). Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Two nights after drilling 18 3s in a breezy win vs. Herkimer Originals, Boeheim’s Army shot just 10-for-31 (32.3%) from beyond the arc.
More than that, its carelessness with the ball in the second half allowed We Are D3 to remain within range and steadily mount belief it could pull the upset.
We Are D3 weathered a 8-0 burst and 13-3 deficit to start the game.
Nichols played a big hand in that, scoring 16 points in the first half to keep his Division III comrades in it.
He might have been even better in the second half. His 36 points came on 13-for-20 shooting, including six 3s.
Nichols hit two 3s late midway through the fourth quarter to stake his team to a 72-68 lead heading into the Elam Ending, where it stretched its lead to seven, 76-69, in the race to 80 points.
Buddy Boeheim, playing in his first TBT, drilled a pair of 3s during the Elam Ending, the second knotting the score at 78 as the tension built.
Boeheim's Army guard Jacob Gilyard )8). Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Boeheim’s Army threw a double-team at Nichols on the next defensive possession, but the aggressive strategy ended with Boeheim chasing and committing a foul, giving We Are D3 one shot and the ball.
That set up Nichols’ heroics and a sprint to the top of the scorer’s table.
Elam Ending
We Are D3 72, Boeheim’s Army 68
Target score: 80
Wilson is left alone at the top of the arc and is short on the 3-point shot. Foul on the floor sends Jimmy Boeheim to the free-throw line, where he sinks the shot, and keeps possession.
Boeheim's Army forward Rakeem Christmas (25) works in the paint. Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Hughes loses the dribble and turns it over in the backcourt. Hughes makes up for it at the other end with a ferocious block.
Underwood hits a fade in the lane over Jimmy Boeheim. Good defense, just tough shot-making.
We Are D3 closing in on the upset after a transition basket puts it front, 76-69.
Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Gilyard, back at the line, hits 1-for-2 at the line, to get BA within 76-70.
Nichols, guarded on the perimeter by Buddy, throws it out of bounds looking for his teammate in the far corner.
After a missed 3 by Buddy Boeheim, BA gets a defensive stop and Hughes is fouled by Nichols, his fifth foul. Hughes misses the free throw.
Boeheim's Army guard Buddy Boeheim (35) dives for a loose ball. Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Buddy Boeheim hits the 3 off the inbound pass and pulls BA within 76-73 and We Are D3 takes timeout.
Underwood forced into a tough fadeaway and BA gets the possession, for now. We Are D3 challenges the officials’ ruling, contesting that the shot went off Hughes’ left hand. Officials stick with the call on the floor.
Boeheim's Army guard Buddy Boeheim (35) walks off the court after Boehein;s Army loss. Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Hughes lines up a 3 but it rattles out. Chris McCullough called for a foul underneath the basket.
Nichols, fouled beyond the arc shooting a 3, heads to the line with a chance to put this game on life support. He misses the first free throw before sinking the next two to bring We Are D3 within two points of the win.
Samuel Peek gets tangled up with McCullough fighting for position underneath. He misses the free throw, and BA has to inbound the ball underneath trailing by five.
McCullough gets a layup to cut the score to 78-75.
Coach Allen Griffin contest a call. Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Davis throws up a wild shot with the shot clock winding down and misses the basket. Boeheim’s Army has life trailing by three.
Boeheim's Army guard Elijah Hughes (7) . Boeheims Army face off against We Are D3 in The Basketball Tournament at OCCs SRC Arena July 21, 2025. Dennis Nett | [email protected]
Buddy Boeheim hits a 3 to tie the game at 78-78. Next basket wins it.
BA throws a double-team at Nichols. Buddy nearly comes up with a steal, then has to chase and commits a foul.
We Are D3 hits the free throw and has a chance to win it. Nichols banks in a shot and the upset is pulled.
Nichols finishes with a tournament-high 36 points, including the game-winner. He storms the scorer’s table.
Fourth quarter
BA skips the ball around out of the timeout, and Gilyard is fouled on a 3-point attempt from the corner. He makes all three free throws to draw Boeheim’s Army within one.
Ty Nichols strikes again from 3. Then, at the other end, Gilyard gets bumped and converts through the contact, plus the foul, to keep pace.
Nichols, on a heater, then buries a deep 3. He has 32 points.
We’re headed toward a tense finish with the Elam Ending.
Target score: 80
5:03 remaining: Boeheim’s Army 66, We Are D3 62
Boeheim’s Army has now turned it over on four-straight possessions, handing We Are D3 opportunities to stretch the lead.
Samuel Peek with a nice move in the lane to stretch the lead to seven, We Are D3’s largest of the night.
Jamil Wilson, formerly of Marquette, hits a pair of free throws to temporarily stop the bleeding before BA yields more paint points.
BA runs Boeheim off a screen on the inbound pass and he drills the corner 3. Boeheim passes up two open looks from 3 the next trip down the floor, to the dismay of the crowd and the broadcast.
We’re about 1 minute away from the Elam Ending.
7:59 remaining: We Are D3 62, Boeheim’s Army 57
We Are D3 has nearly doubled up Boeheim’s Army on the boards, 36-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
BA got too sloppy with the ball, leading to empty possession, and enough can’t be said about how Ty Nichols has played. He’s been the best player on the floor tonight with 26 points.
Those turnover woes continue early here in the fourth as We Are D3 heats up the ball on the wing.
A 3 at the other ends by Marcus Azor cashes in the hustle play.
Dimitrius Underwood takes a shovel pass by Nichols and lays it in.
Third quarter
End of third quarter: Boeheim’s Army 57, We Are D3 57
Buddy and Jimmy Boeheim sink four free throws on the other side of the media timeout to give Boeheim’s Army the lead with less than 2 minutes to play in the third quarter.
Dakquan Davis pokes it free from McCullough but We Are D3 turns it over in transition.
Richardson crashes the boards and gets a putback on the missed 3 by Wilson.
Nichols has no where to go while swarmed by Richardson and Mason. Nichols gets the whistle and converts at the line to knot the score heading into the final quarter.
2:22 remaining: We Are D3 53, Boeheim’s Army 51
We Are D3 is hanging in there. BA can’t corral the block by Christmas, leading to a turnaround jumper in the lane.
Christmas blocks another take out of bounds, and BA forces a turnover on a backcourt violation.
Nichols, fearless, drives right at Christmas and finishes to get We Are D3 within 45-41 with about 6:30 remaining.
Christian Parker hits a pair of free throws off the feed by Nichols, and it’s a two-point game here at SRC Arena.
Gilyard makes up for a sloppy sequence with an open 3 at the top of the key.
Buddy Boeheim then hits a 3 in rhythm to get the lead back up to six after a brief tie at 45-45.
Nichols caps a 6-0 run with a floater in the lane. The Silencer, as he known on the hardcourts of NYC, is up to 22 points.
We Are D3 grabs a 53-51 lead on the short jumper in the lane by Parker. That’s the first lead of the night by We Are D3.
Halftime: Boeheim’s Army 41, We Are D3 35
A little less perimeter shooting and a much closer contest in the Round of 32 here at SRC Arena.
But Boeheim’s Army has been able to protect the rim at times and force nine turnovers to stretch out a six-point lead at halftime.
BA opened up with a 8-0 run and 13-3 lead to start before Ty Nichols almost single-handedly kept the margin close, with a game-high 16 points.
Coach Allen Griffin says his team needs to drive the ball more in the second half.
Second quarter
52 seconds remaining: Boeheim’s Army 40, We Are D3 33
Rakeem Christmas with a block at one end and a full-length outlet pass to Hughes for a quick two. Nifty.
Christmas then draws and a foul and sinks one of two free throws to give Boeheim’s Army a 38-28 lead with 2:22 remaining in the half.
Charles Pride follows a miss for a putback before Nichols hits his fourth 3 of the half. He has a game-high 16 points.
3:28 remaining: Boeheim’s Army 35, We Are D3 26
Noah Starkey, Frank Mason and Malachi Richardson in the lineup to open the second quarter alongside Buddy Boeheim and Chris McCullough.
Ty Nichols hits another 3 to trim the deficit to five. Frank Mason, a stocky, well-built point guard uses his strength to get to the rim and finish in traffic.
Rakeem Christmas checks back in the game, and hits a baby hook off the front of the rim.
Hughes gets a quick basket in the lane before a transition alley-oop to McCullough.
First quarter
End of first quarter: Boeheim’s Army: 23, We Are D3 17
Ty Nichols hits back-to-back 3s on consecutive possessions to trim the deficit to four before Gilyard answers with a corner 3.
Jimmy Boeheim now up to six points off the bench on a drive and finish with the right hand.
Gilyard hits his third 3 of the half to push lead back up to 10.
Jamil Wilson, making his first appearance for Boeheim’s Army in TBT, elevates for a block at the end of the first quarter before enough time for Nichols to get one more look at the basket is added back on the game clock.
Nichols hits a deep two from the baseline and is up to eight points.
4:06 remaining: Boeheim’s Army 13, We Are D3 5
Another fast start for Boeheim’s Army, with back-to-back 3s by Buddy Boeheim and Elijah Hughes capping an 8-0 run to open the game.
Boeheim’s Army has launched seven 3s early here but has made just two. Jimmy Boeheim checks in just before the 5-minute mark and gets a fast paint bucket.
Jacob Gilyard then buries a 3 to open up a 13-3 lead.
Rakeem Christmas exited early with a right shoulder injury. He got some tape on it and is back on the bench.
Pregame
Boeheim’s Army, the Syracuse-alumni team competing in The Basketball Tournament’s $1 million, winner-take-all summer hoops fix, returns to action Monday night.
Boeheim’s Army easily dispatched Herkimer Originals in the opening round two nights ago, raining in 18 3s and getting stellar performances by TBT newbies Buddy Boeheim and Elijah Hughes, who combined for 45 points.
The Army, the No. 1 seed in the Syracuse region, should again be heavily favored to advance. We Are D3 boasts a Division III-centric roster that has not advanced past the second round in its TBT history. Jackson Meshanic (Hobart) and Hank Morgan (Hamilton College) bring some Upstate New York flavor.
But, upsets happen. Louisville’s alumni squad, The Ville, got ousted in the Round of 32.
Boeheim’s Army is a 9.5-point favorite (-520) to beat We Are D3 (+370) on FanDuel.
We Are D3 knocked off Layne’s Hope, 75-71 in the first round on Saturday at OCC. Ty Nichols led the way with 20 points in the win.
The winner of Monday night’s game will face No. 2 seed Stars of Storrs at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Syracuse regional final. Wednesday’s game will be televised on FS1.
Stars of Storrs knocked off Green Mountain Men, 78-76 on a 3 by Ryan Boatright during the Elam Ending. Boatright said after the game he was playing through a painful ankle injury.
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