Senior All-Amerian Ryan Bruns scores 13 points, including game-winner, as Red Scare wins opening round of The Basketball Tournament 108-82

July 19, 2019

By Tim Glon

COLUMBUS — Ohio Northern All-American Ryan Bruns (Chickasaw/Marion Local) scored 13 points, including the game-winning score, and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the Red Scare to an 108-82 first round victory over The Region in the first round of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) on Friday afternoon at the Capital Center.

TBT is a 64-team tournament of top-notch professional basketball, featuring college alumni teams, international basketball stars, ex-NBA players and future NBA players competing in a single-elimination 5-on-5 tournament.

The third-seeded Red Scare advances to the second round and will face seventh-seeded Mid-American Unity on Saturday at Noon on ESPN.

Bruns played 23:26 of a possible 32 minutes in the contest and was 4-of-5 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the foul line.

His two free throws sealed the game in the Elam Ending, a unique game-ending format used in the TBT.

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In the Elam Ending, the target score for winning the game is determined by adding eight points to the leading team's score at the first dead ball with less than 4:00 left in the fourth quarter.

The Red Scare led 100-73 with 3:54 left in the fourth quarter, so the first team to 108 points would win the game.

Bruns hit a free throw to score point 101 and nailed two more free throws to win the game 108-82.

The Regional final is slated for Sunday at Noon on ESPN.

The champions from each regional site will move on to Championship Weekend to play for the $2 million, winner-take-all prize in Chicago from August 1-6.

With the exception of Bruns, the Red Scare are comprised of University of Dayton basketball alumni.

Bruns was named Second Team All-America by D3hoops.com for the second consecutive season in 2018-19.

He was a Second Team All-American by D3hoops.com and the NABC and was a First Team All-Region pick by both organizations last year.

Bruns was also named Second team All-Region by the National Basketball Coaches Association and played in the Reese's NABC Division III Men's Basketball All-Star game on March prior to the NCAA Division III National Championship game at the War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.

He scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the West All-Stars to a 104-101 victory over the East All-Stars.

Bruns is also a three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree, earning First Team honors in 2018 and 2019 and Second Team honors as a sophomore in 2017.

The 2018 OAC Player of the Year, Bruns concluded his outstanding collegiate career with 1,686 career points, which ranks fourth all-time in program history.

Additionally, he owns the program record with 250 blocked shots, sits third in made field goals (643), is fifth in made free throws (366), and ranks 11th in rebounding (723) at Ohio Northern.

He has also named the OAC Player of the Week five times during his career.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Friday, July 19

Game 1 ESPN3 3pm EDT (2) Kohl Blooded vs. (7) Mid-American Unity

Game 2 ESPN3 5pm EDT (3) Red Scare vs. (6) The Region

Game 3 ESPN2 7pm EDT (4) Big X vs. (5) West Virginia Wildcats

Game 4 ESPN2 9pm EDT (1) Carmen's Crew vs. (8) Illinois BC

Saturday, July 20

Game 5 ESPN 12pm EDT Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

Game 6 ESPN 2pm EDT Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner

Sunday, July 21

Regional ESPN 12pm EDT Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

Championship