The 2024 edition of The Basketball Tournament opened play in the Wichita Regional Saturday at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita with two of the three home favorites advancing. In the opening game of the day, the top-seeded AfterShocks team of Wichita State alumni used a monster first quarter to advance past No. 8 seed Midtown Prestige 86-71. The AfterShocks ended the first period up 19-4 and never looked back. The teams played the last three periods even but the 15-point deficit was too much for the Prestige to overcome. Markis McDuffie led the way with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting while grabbing six rebounds for the ‘Shocks.
In the second game of the day, No. 5 seed Team Colorado nipped the No. 4 seed Purple Reign team of Kansas State alumni 71-67. Team Colorado used an 18-11 second quarter to take a 34-29 lead at the break, but Purple Reign knotted the game at 55 heading into the final nine minutes. Joshua Adams scored seven of the team’s 16 points in the final frame to lead Team Colorado to the upset. Dshawn Schwartz led all scorers with 20 points. Purple Reign outshot Team Colorado from the field and the three-point line but was outscored at the free throw line 20-14. Jacob Pullen led Purple Reign with 17 points on 4-of-12 shooting while hitting 4-of-8 3-pointers in the game.
In the final first round game of the regional, the No. 2 seed Mass Street squad of former KU alumni was in firm control for much of the game on the way to an 81-68 first-round victory over the No. 7 seed Ram Up team of Colorado State alumni. Mass Street flew out to a 19-9 lead after the first quarter and outscored Ram Up 25-13 in the third to lead by as many as 20 in the fourth. Ram Up cut the deficit as close as 10 in the Elam Ending as Mass Street missed free throws to ice the game before Dedric Lawson knocked down a pair of charity shots to seal the win. Ram Up finished just 5 for 29 from the 3-point line in the loss while the team of mostly former Jayhawks shot 52% from the field. Frank Mason III had 20 points while Billy Preston added 18 points and 8 rebounds.
The AfterShocks return to action Monday to face Team Colorado at 8:00 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1. Mass Street will play the early game against Florida TNT. The No. 3 seed made the regional semifinal after an 81-61 victory over the L.A. Cheaters team of Drew League All-Stars.
