Horne, Kennedy complete homecoming with TBT championship win

Paris Horne and D.J. Kennedy display million-dollar check that their Overseas Elite team collected, winning The Basketball Tournament championship in 67-65 thriller over Team 23. (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)

Their return to the city they called home during their four-year collegiate careers proved to be a winning one.

Displaying the hard-nosed aggression and relentless demeanor that endeared them to fans while at St. John's, Paris Horne and D.J. Kennedy willed a team to victory once more, serving as the driving forces behind Overseas Elite as the team composed of college stars who have gone on to greater heights around the globe captured The Basketball Tournament championship Sunday afternoon, surviving a furious rally from Team 23 to prevail by the final of 67-65 at Fordham University's Rose Hill Gym.

"There was a chance we weren't going to play," said Horne, whose 10 points were matched by a bevy of hustle plays that will not show up in the final box score. "We didn't have enough people. For us to be sitting here, it's unbelievable. This is probably the biggest win I've ever had."

Overseas Elite's near-forfeit in the opening round of The Tournament, which attracted 97 teams to its field, has been well-chronicled since their first appearance on the hardwood. Only four players suited up before guard Travis Bader flew into Atlanta to be the fifth man in the lineup just hours after competing in a Summer League game the same morning. From there, the patchwork squad employed a "survive and advance" mantra while remaining firmly in the moment, not thinking about the payoff at the end until it became a reality.

Against a defensive-minded Team 23, Overseas Elite needed to play the role of aggressor, and Horne's college running mate D.J. Kennedy was more than happy to oblige. In a performance that harkened back to his all-Big East form with the Red Storm, Kennedy made a name for himself early and often, scoring the game's first seven points en route to a 24-point masterpiece that probably would have earned the Pittsburgh native a Most Valuable Player honor if there were one.

"My teammates told me they were going to need me," an exultant Kennedy revealed. "I knew it was a big game, so I wanted to get a good start from the jump."

Overseas Elite led through most of the affair, but not without some adversity along the way, as Team 23 fed off their widespread crowd support for the second consecutive day on their way to a 16-7 run that gave them the lead midway through the first half. A 12-5 spurt for the Arizona-based club was enough to propel Team 23 back into the lead after Overseas Elite took a 35-30 cushion into the locker room, but a Horne three-pointer put the eventual champions in the driver's seat once again.

Team 23 rallied valiantly, thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of point guard Davin White, whose 34 points led all scorers. White made one basket after another down the stretch to keep the margin within one possession, including a three-pointer that cut the Overseas Elite lead to two, at 65-63, with 19.6 seconds left in regulation. Following a trip to the free throw line where Kennedy missed the first, but made the second, White drained two foul shots on the other end of the floor to make it a one-point game before Kennedy drew another foul with ten seconds remaining.

Again, the St. John's star made one of two, knocking down the first before the second rimmed out, setting the stage for an epic conclusion. However, Team 23 was unable to get a shot off in time against a staunch defensive stand by Overseas Elite, who earns an automatic entry to the Super 17 Regional in next year's tournament should they return to defend their title. Their leader tonight, though admitting the magnitude of the victory, deflected the credit toward his alma mater, which has made several positive headlines this offseason following the hire of program hero Chris Mullin as head coach.

"It's not just big for us," said Kennedy, who receives a $90,000 winner's share of the earnings, while Horne pockets $107,000. "It's bigger for St. John's. They've got a heck of an alumni support base, so that's big for our alma mater."