In a thrilling matchup at Freedom Hall on July 29, 2024, La Familia emerged victorious over The Ville with a final score of 70-61 in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). The game showcased former Kentucky and Louisville stars in a closely contested battle.
Nate Sestina led La Familia with an outstanding performance, scoring 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including an impressive 6-of-14 from beyond the arc. Eric Bledsoe contributed significantly with 9 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
For The Ville, Russ Smith put up a valiant effort with 22 points, including 11 free throws. Chinanu Onuaku recorded a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds, while also adding 2 blocks.
La Familia’s superior shooting proved to be the difference-maker. They shot 41.9% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range, compared to The Ville’s 31.0% and 19.0% respectively. However, The Ville had a slight edge in rebounding, pulling down 44 boards to La Familia’s 37.
The game saw its share of intensity, with technical fouls called on Andrew Harrison of La Familia and Chris Jones of The Ville.
Other notable performances for La Familia included Willie Cauley-Stein with 20 points and 9 rebounds, and Kerem Kanter with 8 points and 9 rebounds. For The Ville, David Johnson contributed 7 points and 4 rebounds, while Montrezl Harrell added 11 points and 4 rebounds.
La Familia advances to play in Philadelphia Aug 2 against Carmen’s Crew which is an Ohio State alumni squad.
