Herkimer Originals Fall to Boeheim’s Army on National Stage

Saturday night didn’t go the way Herkimer had hoped, but it probably went the way they thought it was going to go.  Boeheim’s Army, back in The Basketball Tournament after a break, put on a shooting clinic and handed the Originals a tough 97–71 loss in front of a loud Syracuse crowd.

There was no shortage of highlights—for them, anyway. The Army hit 18 of 29 from three-point range. That’s not a typo. Buddy Boeheim, fresh off a red-eye flight from NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, dropped 24 points, going 7-for-9 from downtown. He also chipped in with five rebounds and six assists, looking every bit like someone with something to prove.

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Elijah Hughes added 21. Jimmy Boeheim and Jacob Gilyard both scored in double figures, with Gilyard dishing out 11 assists to complete a double-double. When a team is moving the ball like that and hitting from the perimeter, there’s not a lot anyone can do to stop it.

For Herkimer, the night was rough—but for those who know the importance of being on the national stage, just showing up on that kind of stage is a point of reflection. After all, there’s long been a claim here that the written rules of basketball actually started in Herkimer, not Springfield. According to local history, Dr. Lambert Will and the YMCA played a major role in shaping the early game—and while that’s debated in wider circles, around here it’s part of the story.

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Saturday’s result is what it is. The scoreboard told the tale. But if you're from Herkimer, you probably saw something else too—a reminder of just how long this little town in the Mohawk Valley has been tied to the sport.