Archie Goodwin lifts La Familia past The Ville, advances to next round of TBT

La Familia survived a hard-fought three-game rivalry series against The Ville, punching its ticket to the next round of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) with a 63-57 victory Wednesday night inside Memorial Coliseum.

After splitting the first two games, with La Familia winning 72-68 in Lexington before falling 82-62 in Louisville, everything came down to Game 3. The Ville controlled much of the first half, building a 21-13 first-quarter lead before taking a 30-25 advantage into halftime. La Familia struggled offensively early, especially from beyond the arc, but stayed within striking distance thanks to its defensive effort.

The game completely shifted after halftime.

La Familia opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run, highlighted by a floater and 3-pointer from Archie Goodwin to grab its first lead at 33-32.

Darryl Morsell continued attacking the basket, while Willie Cauley-Stein provided key minutes in the paint before heading to the bench for a breather. Goodwin added a steal and breakaway slam as La Familia stretched its lead to seven points before carrying a 45-40 advantage into the fourth quarter.

With the Elam Ending setting the target score at 63, both teams traded baskets down the stretch. The Ville repeatedly looked to Montrezl Harrell, but La Familia’s defense did a much better job limiting his impact than it had earlier in the series.

The difference in Game 3 was the return of Goodwin.

After missing the first two games, Goodwin made an immediate impact, finishing with a game-high 22 points. He capped off his spectacular debut by knocking down the game-winning basket in the Elam Ending, sending the Memorial Coliseum crowd into a frenzy and securing La Familia’s spot in the next round.

The Cats will be back in action on Sunday to host another game at Historic Memorial Coliseum. It will be vs. the winner of the Hall in (Seton Hall-themed team) vs. Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse-themed team).