Seeing Red: Red Scare Eliminates House Of Paign From TBT 2020
The run for House Of Paign in The Basketball Tournament is over.
After knocking off the defending champions and top seed two days earlier, the Illinois alumni team couldn’t make it two in a row over teams from the Buckeye State as House Of Paign was defeated by Red Scare, a Dayton alumni team, 83-76 in the quarterfinals of TBT 2020.
If not for a 21-9 run during the Elam Ending portion of the game, the final score wouldn’t have nearly looked as close as Red Scare got double-double efforts from former Ohio State 7-footer Trevor Thompson (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Dean Oliver (10 points, 11 rebounds).
Red Scare will play Golden Eagles, the Marquette alumni team, Sunday in the semifinals where the winner will advance for the right to play for the $1 million championship prize.
House Of Paign forward Mike Daum, the seventh all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history while playing for Scott Nagy at South Dakota State, was held to just 12 points on 4 of 12 shooting from the field and three rebounds after averaging a double-double in the first two games.
"Daum was beating himself up in the locker room on himself afterwards and even apologized to me and I said 'why are you apologizing man?," House Of Paign head coach/general manager Mike LaTulip said. "We're not even here without you'."
Red Scare, which was able to force House Of Paign into nine first-half turnovers, had five players finish in double figures and were led by Ryan Mikesell’s 16 points and eight rebounds. The role player for this past season’s Dayton team that was near the top of the national rankings has been in double figures in all three Red Scare wins in TBT 2020.
Andres Feliz, who is likely to have numerous professional basketball opportunities following his three games in TBT 2020, finished with a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
"You talk about someone who sacrificed, especially when you’re talking about somebody who just graduated college and coming from where he’s coming from, (Feliz) lost his grandfather a few days ago,” House Of Paign forward Malcolm Hill said in the post-game media conference. “LaTulip said it man. The fact that we all sacrifice for this team, especially Andres, I just want to give props to him for making that sacrifice.”
House Of Paign, which had been able to turn on the offense at a moments notice in this tournament, was just 6 of 23 from three-point range Friday night leading to their elimination in the squad’s debut year of TBT competition.
