COLUMBUS, Ohio — Some things just never change.
Constant dribble drives and strong finishes at the rim by Andres Feliz paired with smothering defense at the other end.
Nnanna Egwu swatting away misguided attempts to challenge him on the block.
Smooth fadeaway jumpers from Malcolm Hill.
Illinois fans got used to seeing it during that trio’s respective Illini careers.
It was all on display again Saturday night on national TV in the opening round of The Basketball Tournament, with Feliz, Egwu and Hill — among others — playing for House of ‘Paign.
Feliz wound up with an Illini-high 20 points, former South Dakota State All-American Mike Daum added 21 points and 13 rebounds and House of ‘Paign crushed War Tampa 76-53. The Illinois alumni team, with some help from its trio of TBT “grad transfers,” advances to play defending champion Carmen’s Crew at 3 p.m. Wednesday in a second-round game on ESPN.
“We look like a real team that’s been practicing for like six months, and we’ve been here for six days,” Feliz said after the win that happened in front of no fans at Nationwide Arena because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m more than happy to be a part of this team.”
House of ‘Paign asserted itself early, with Feliz finding Daum for a pick-and-pop three-pointer to start the game.
Hill finished the first quarter with a buzzer-beating breakaway slam that put House of ‘Paign up 19-14.
The second quarter was a repeat. Daum hit a three at the start, and Champaign native Michael Finke put the punctuation on the first half with a power dunk at the buzzer, giving House of ‘Paign a 39-28 lead.
That 11-point halftime lead for House of ‘Paign simply grew in the final two quarters. The Elam Ending hit in the final 4 minutes of the fourth quarter with House of ‘Paign boasting a 68-49 advantage in the race to 76 points. Feliz, who also had seven rebounds, hit the game-winning free throw.
“We knew coming in that we have enough offensive firepower,” said Hill, who added 15 points. “We knew to start the game and get us going it was defense and toughness. We have plenty of offensive weapons. That’s not what we’re worried about.”
Now, it’s on to the second round for House of ‘Paign. And a game against top-seeded Carmen’s Crew, a team comprised mostly of former Ohio State players. But the Illini-led team isn’t just satisfied with Saturday night’s triumph.
“We didn’t come here just to win one game,” House of ‘Paign coach Mike LaTulip said.
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July 05, 2020 at 07:00PM
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Team effort lifts House of 'Paign to easy opening win - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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