Whether it was a lack of chemistry, Donovan Dent’s last minute withdrawal or just drawing the unfortunate card of facing the defending TBT champions in the opening round — The Enchantment appeared simply outmatched during their first game of TBT play on Monday night.
The Enchantment were trying to find their footing while Wichita State’s AfterShocks played as if they hadn’t missed a step. Game one of the opening round of the TBT wasn’t memorable for New Mexico’s alumni, as they fell 98-77 in disappointing fashion to the reigning TBT champions.
The Enchantment let offensive possessions slip away through their hands throughout the night, allowing 14 turnovers to turn into 28 points for the AfterShocks. Whether it was ball handling or ball movement, nothing was clicking.
59 of the 97 points came off the bench for the AfterShocks, who played a combined 97 minutes to the starters’ 82. Wichita State looked and felt like a team trying to go back-to-back; The Enchantment looked and felt like one still learning each other’s strengths and tendencies.
KJ Jenkins’ three-ball was the only source of offense for the majority of the night. Jenkins led the team with 22 points and was 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. Joe Petrakis had a notable 28 minutes off the bench to bring some offensive and defensive presence in the paint, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and delivering 3 blocks and a steal.
Jemel Jones’ 21 points and Vance Jackson’s 16 points gave the scoreboard justice for The Enchantment, finding their rhythm late despite the game being out of reach, but a rhythm to build off of heading into Game two.
The final score was more respectable than the game itself. The Enchantment scored 40 points in the final quarter after a combined 37 points through the first three. The AfterShocks went on a 17-0 run during the second quarter amid a scoring drought of over six minutes for The Enchantment, before Jenkins knocked down his second three-pointer to make the game 13-34 with 4:35 remaining.
The AfterShocks’ three-point percentage looks ordinary on paper, but felt Splash Bros-esque. Before forcing and missing more three-pointers during the final quarter, Wichita State’s alumni shot 41% from three-point range through the first three quarters.
The Enchantment found themselves in transition defense too often, playing what felt like twice the amount of defense per possession. The AfterShocks' 18 offensive rebounds killed The Enchantment’s chances of gaining a lead — one they never had. The AfterShocks led by 36 with less than two minutes left in the 3rd quarter before running away with a victory.
The theme of Monday’s disappointing night: The AfterShocks’ experience, depth and overall confidence was in a league of its own, especially against a team that has never played together before the match.
Thursday night presents a new challenge: The Enchantment must quickly build the chemistry that the AfterShocks spent years developing, or watch its TBT run end almost as quickly as it began.
Edge Garcia is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @ByEdgeGarcia
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