The Big Blue Nation showed out time and time against this summer as Kentucky's alumni team climbed the TBT ranks, all the way to today's $2 million championship game at Historic Memorial Coliseum. Going from a game-two loss to The Ville that had some fans thinking the whole thing was over to the league's tip-top was a huge accomplishment even as, unfortunately, the team fell short.
With a 67- 59 final score, our former Wildcats just couldn't get it done against the same team that eliminated them last summer. Davis Steel, previously known as Eberlein Drive, marched into Lexington and controlled the TBT title game from the very beginning.
That isn't to say that La Familia didn't fight; Archie Goodwin again led the way with 19 points for a team that, even at their lowest, remained within striking distance in this contest. But it was Davis Steel's physicality that ultimately overwhelmed La Familia to the point of no return.
We came so close, Cats fans. This is a painful end to a truly thrilling run.
La Familia Was Physically Outmatched Against Davis Steel
The final rebound tally truly tells the whole story. Davis Steel ended up with 48 boards, which gave way to 23 second chance points, while La Familia mustered just 37 rebounds in response. That's where the difference was made, even as La Familia managed to limit their opponents' three-point efficiency.
That's especially weird, as we entered this contest worried about how the former Cats would fare defensively as it related to Davis Steel's long-range percentages. In the end, the visiting team shot just 25% from distance. That wasn't the problem at all.
Really, the greater issue may have been the no-shows for La Familia this offseason. Even after Goodwin made his debut, names like Marcus Lee and Quade Green remained oddly missing. Another big in the post, like Lee, could've gone way in this particular matchup.
La Familia Suffering Due to No-Shows
I won't even pretend to venture a guess as to why certain players didn't show up, but that's detached from how it ended up impacting the team. A shorthanded season taken all the way to the championship could've resulted in the Kentucky alumni's first-ever TBT trophy.
Even so, the BBN should have nothing but pride for the squad that came this far. We're all looking forward to next summer already when, hopefully, the bulk of these fan-favorites run it back for a revenge tour in Memorial Coliseum once more.
Maybe Willie Cauley-Stein can even be convinced for one more season of competitive hoops. Thanks for what has almost inarguably been the best season, La Familia. One more round of applause for the road.
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