Red Scare fell to eventual champion Carmen’s Crew in last year’s Columbus Regional title game. In its 2020 opener, the University of Dayton alumni squad took its first step toward another deep tournament run.

Darrell Davis hit back-to-back three pointers during the Elam Ending, and Red Scare held off Big X, 77-68.

“We’ve got a lot of shooters,” said Davis, who scored a team-high 15 points. “We just kept at it and got the win.”

Ryan Mikesell (14 points), Ryan McMahon (12 points) and Trevor Thompson (12 points) all registered double figures in the win for Red Scare, who received scoring from all eight players and used a 13-0 fourth-quarter run to come away with the win.

“We’re going to play hard,” said Red Scare coach Joey Gruden. “That’s what Dayton basketball is, and that’s what we did today.”

The back-and-forth affair featured 11 ties and 14 lead changes. Gruden credited his team’s experience with its ability to persevere.

“The first year [in TBT], you get your feet wet, but you don’t understand what it’s like until you’re in it. But, we’ve got guys who made big shots late.”

Red Scare advances to face the winner of Carmen’s Crew vs. House of Paign on July 10th at 4:00 PM EST.

Trevon Hughes had 15 of his game-high 20 points in the second quarter for Big X, which held a 5-point halftime lead.