The AfterShocks, a team comprised primarily of Wichita State basketball alumni, advanced one game closer to The Basketball Tournament’s (TBT) $1 million prize after kicking off the 2024 Wichita Regional on Saturday with a win over Midtown Prestige, 86-71.
The victory marks the 12th all-time win for the AfterShocks in TBT, boosting their record in Charles Koch Arena under head coach Zach Brown to 11-1. The eighth-seeded Midtown Prestige, a Wichita-area team, suffered a first-round exit in their inaugural tournament.
Conner Frankamp, who scored 10 points in the game, said the team had some stretches where they played sloppy, especially toward the end of the game.
“That’s going to happen with us just getting together and playing our first five-on-five game in the summertime,” Frankamp said. “We’ll tighten those things up and try to be better for our next game.”
The AfterShocks didn’t start sloppy, taking a 22-5 lead in the first quarter. But in the final two minutes, the offense slowed down and Midtown Prestige cut their deficit to 27-14 at the quarter’s end.
Guard Jeremiah Martin, who joined the Aftershocks despite being a Memphis alum, helped keep Midtown Prestige at bay with a couple of layups during the second quarter. The AfterShocks took a 21-point, 48-27 lead with 2:48 left in the quarter as forward Trey Wade slammed home a dunk in transition after Martin came away with a steal.
Before the quarter ended, another Aftershocks scoring drought allowed the TBT newcomers to bring the halftime score to 50-35.
As the third quarter came underway, the AfterShocks extended their lead to 68-44 but by the end of the quarter, sluggish offense allowed Midtown Prestige to stave off a blowout as the AfterShocks led 70-53 heading into the final quarter.
Midtown Prestige brought the AfterShocks’ lead to 72-58 during the fourth quarter, but forwards Jordan Parks and Markis McDuffie answered with back-to-back slam dunks. At the end of regulation, the AfterShocks led 78-61, with the Elam Ending setting a target score of 86.
Midtown Prestige tried to mount a comeback, scoring 10 points during the Elam Ending. This proved too little, too late when Nebraska alum, guard Caleb Walker called the game, slamming home an alley-oop.
Brown said the first game is always hard and the team was “getting the rust off.”
“You have to remember, we only have four days with the entire group here to have to practice,” Brown said. “I know it may not look like we have, at times, practiced, but typically we get better over the course of each game.”
In the remaining TBT first-round matchups, five-seeded Team Colorado knocked off four-seeded Purple Reign, 71-67. Three-seeded Florida TNT handed the six-seeded LA Cheaters an 81-61 loss and two-seeded Mass Street won over seven-seeded Ram Up, 81-68.
The AfterShocks will continue their TBT run on Monday, July 22, against Team Colorado. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Charles Koch Arena.
