It might be the end of an era after Marquette alumni team loses early in The Basketball Tournament

The Marquette alumni team was eliminated in the second round of The Basketball Tournament on Tuesday evening in Dayton, Ohio, but the loss felt even more final.

The Red Scare, made up mostly of former University of Dayton players, pulled away for a 62-56 victory in front of home fans. It marked the first time the Golden Eagles didn't win at least three games in the popular summer event.

It might be the end of an era for the core group of former MU players who helped win the $1 million prize in the 2020 TBT.

After the loss, Jamil Wilson tweeted that his time with the Golden Eagles is likely over: "truly an honor and blessing playing in @thetournament. this was the last run glad to go out with my guys! thanks for having us!"

The 31-year-old Wilson, a Racine native who played at MU from 2011-14, has appeared on all seven Golden Eagles teams that competed in TBT. Maurice Acker, 35, also played on every entry.

The Golden Eagles became one of the signature teams of the 8-year-old TBT along with Overseas Elite, which won four straight titles from 2015-2018.

Travis Diener is 40, and TBT allowed the seemingly ageless sharpshooter to add to his legend. He first played in the tournament when MU hosted a "Big East pod" at the Al McGuire Center for the opening rounds in 2018. Diener then became the face of the Golden Eagles' deep runs, with clutch shots helping the team make the semifinals in 2018 and the title game in 2019.

A key member of MU's 2003 Final Four team, Diener cemented his place in TBT history when he hit the winning jumper in the 2020 championship. He celebrated in true Wisconsin fashion by picking up the tab at his father's bar in Fond du Lac.

Diener played sparingly in the Golden Eagles' two games this year.

"Basketball for me keeps me young," Diener said before the team departed for Dayton. "As I get older in age, coming back and playing with these guys and competing, obviously I'm not the same player I once was or move as I once did, but this is the chance to stay youthful."

Joe Chapman, who also played on MU's Final Four team, is the other face of the Golden Eagles' TBT team. He was a player for the first two years but then took over the coaching reins from Wesley Matthews. MU's teams stood out over the last few tournaments with their execution and organization thanks to Chapman.

But the 38-year-old is also increasingly busy with his thriving Chapman Basketball Academy.

"I have a lot of things going myself with our AAU program and training and all of that," Chapman said. "But just to see the path that these young men are going through with TBT and trying to help them to see what's next for themselves, and I can show them that through my own program that I have. Help them with what they want to do after basketball."

Key Golden Eagles players such as Dwight Buycks and Darius Johnson-Odom are still playing professionally but in their early 30s. Sacar Anim, 24, was the youngest member of this year's TBT roster.

All those generations of MU players help the program's fans get a summer hoops fix. The TBT team's annual scrimmages with the current MU squads also help strengthen bonds between eras.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Golden Eagles in the event.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette alumni team with Travis Diener loses in TBT basketball