Illinois Group Knocks Off Defending Champs in TBT

Their team name might be House of Paign, and there is a clear Illinois flavor to their roster, but it was one of the outsiders — Kyle Vinales of Central Connecticut State — that led them to a huge upset over defending champion Carmen's Crew in the TBT on Wednesday.

Vinales is one of only three non-Illinois players on the House of Paign, but the 28-year-old scored 16 points and make two key baskets down the stretch in the 76-68 victory. Carmen's Crew, the No. 1 seed and a collection of former Ohio State stars that won the single-elimination event a year ago, didn't have any answer for him.

His new teammates did. They wanted the ball in his hands down the stretch.

“That goes to show Malcolm Hill’s leadership in the huddle because he said ‘give the ball to Kyle,’” Vinales said in the postgame media conference. “Those were his exact words. He said ‘He has a mismatch’ and I was just trying to exploit it. My teammates gave the space I needed and I was lucky enough to make those baskets.”

Mike Daum, a former standout at South Dakota State, led House Of Paign with 23 points and eight rebounds.

“The biggest thing I’ve seen in a group of guys that met eight days ago is the connectivity we have on and off the court,” Daum said. “You can just tell we band together no matter what is going on in the game.”

The No. 16-seed House of Paign advances to the quarterfinals of the 24-team winner-take-all event. They will take on Red Scare, a Dayton alumni team, on Friday.

David Lighty led Carmen’s Crew with 21 points. Reigning MVP William Buford, and newcomer DeShaun Thomas, combined for just seven points on 2-of-14 shooting.

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