Willie Cauley-Stein isn’t ready to walk away from basketball just yet.
With his playing career expected to end after La Familia’s run in The Basketball Tournament, Cauley-Stein kept his final run alive Wednesday night by helping lead La Familia to a 63-57 victory over The Ville in Game 3 at Memorial Coliseum.
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The Kentucky-Louisville rivalry once again lived up to the hype. Kentucky claimed Game 1 before Louisville responded with a convincing win in Game 2, setting up a winner-take-all showdown.
While advancing in TBT and chasing the $2 million prize remains the ultimate goal, many Big Blue Nation fans simply wanted one thing above all else: Beat The Ville.
And La Familia delivered, with Cauley-Stein playing a major role in making that happen.
After suffering a foot injury in Game 1 and battling through Game 2, the former Wildcat turned in his best performance of the series when his team needed it most. He finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two steals while anchoring La Familia’s defense. He also set the pick that freed up Archie Goodwin for the game-winning shot.
His biggest assignment came against former Louisville star Montrezl Harrell. Although Harrell finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, 12 of those points came before halftime. La Familia adjusted defensively after the break, limiting Harrell to just six second-half points as Cauley-Stein and the frontcourt made life much more difficult.
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The victory also added another chapter to Cauley-Stein’s history against Harrell. Between his time at Kentucky and now with La Familia, Cauley-Stein improved to 6-2 against the former Cardinal, with both losses coming at Louisville.
Now, his farewell tour continues as La Familia moves one step closer to the TBT championship and the $2 million prize.
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