Layne’s Hope nearly pulled off a stunning comeback during the Elam Ending, erasing a 14-point deficit behind Ishmael El-Amin’s clutch drives and Torrence’s timely three. They tied it at 71 after a furious defensive stand and El-Amin’s free throws, but We Are D3 held on as Ty Nichols scored through contact and sealed the game at the line.
The first winner at the SRC Arena was born.
We Are D3 edged past Layne’s Hope 75-71 in a thrilling finish during the Elam Ending on The Basketball Tournament (TBT) regional tipoff in Syracuse. Nichols scored a game-high 20 points, while Marcus Azor added 17 points and seven rebounds to fuel D3’s advance. Ben Middlebrooks led Layne’s Hope with 15 points.
Both teams opened the game trading early baskets before both sides dug in defensively. Jordan Holland’s opening three and Symir Torrence’s second-chance strong finish gave Layne’s Hope an early boost, but D3 immediately responded, with Nichols putting up a contested three to even things at seven. Azor’s aggressive drive gave D3 a 10–9 edge heading into the first media timeout.
After the break, D3 found their rhythm. Thomas Quarry knocked down an off-ball three to stretch the lead, while Layne’s Hope went cold from the field and struggled with foul trouble, reaching its fourth with two minutes left in the quarter. Layne’s big Ben Middlebrooks managed to get to the line, but his poor conversion from the free-throw line hurt.
Frankie Pulicelli gave Layne’s Hope a late spark, scoring four quick points off a putback and a turnover conversion to cut the deficit to two.
Joe Cremo then opened the second quarter with a floater and a three, briefly lifting Layne’s Hope. However, D3 kept pace from the perimeter while frustrating Layne’s inside presence, particularly Middlebrooks, who struggled at the line. Azor’s corner triple pushed D3’s lead to double digits, and with Layne’s Hope stalling offensively, D3 entered halftime up 38–27.
Nichols opened the third with a three, followed by Azor’s and-one and Peek’s putback to push D3’s lead to 20. Peek stayed hot with a corner three, but D3’s offense briefly cooled off. Still, Layne’s Hope failed to capitalize, continuing to struggle offensively.
After a timeout, Torrence provided a spark with two tough drives, trimming the deficit to 15. D3 kept control by getting to the line, but Layne’s pushed back. Torrence found Policelli in the corner under pressure, and after a pump fake, Policelli finished strong at the rim to keep Layne’s Hope within reach heading into the fourth.
Led by El-Amin’s late-game moment, Layne’s Hope showed heart in a furious fourth-quarter rally and the Elam Ending. Down 14, they chipped away behind Jordan Holland’s mid-range jumper and El-Amin’s free throws. Middlebrooks added a tough fadeaway, and El-Amin finished in traffic to cut it to single digits.
Despite D3 answers from Nichols and Parker, Layne’s surged again. Jalen Hawkins went coast-to-coast, then Cremo drilled a deep three from the right. El-Amin kept his offensive momentum with the drive, trimming it to seven. Torrence added a corner three, and Layne’s defense stepped up at the same time. The opponent’s turnover gave El-Amin another possession to drive, making it 71-68, and Middlebrooks’ free throw brought them within two.
Then came El-Amin’s moment: he forced a turnover, got fouled, and calmly sank two free throws to tie it at 71. But D3 woke and responded as Nichols powered in a layup under Middlebrooks and sank two final free throws to close it out, 75-71, surviving Layne’s Hope’s dramatic push.
Advancing to the second round of the Syracuse Region, We Are D3 is set to battle the winner between Boeheim’s Army and Herkimer Originals.
Kevin Lu is a contributor for Fingerlakes1.com. He freelanced for the site during The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in 2025.