The Enchantment looked enchanted on Thursday night, as after a forgetful Game one performance, the team rewrote the narrative in Game two by defeating the AfterShocks on the road 74-68 to force a win-or-go-home Game three.
“Last game, I (didn’t) like that we got popped,” former Lobo Vance Jackson said post-game. “We had to just shake that off.”
Just three days after getting “popped”, The Enchantment shook off the rust and played like a team that had developed deep chemistry overnight. Monday night’s first-quarter performance felt ancient after how New Mexico’s alumni came out striking.
The Enchantment set the tone by taking a 16-4 lead to open the game. Jackson’s 17 points and 4 three-pointers in the first half were paramount in controlling the game from start to finish.
It wasn’t until late in the third quarter when The Enchantment slammed their foot on the gas by going on a 15-0 run capped off by a steal and assist by Jemel Jones, who found CJ Noland in the corner to knock down a three to put The Enchantment up 55-45 with 1:32 remaining.
As always, it wasn’t perfect for the New Mexico alums: The AfterShocks continued to give them trouble with their perimeter shooting, landing 45% of their shots beyond the arc in the first half.
However, the adjustments on defense were pivotal in keeping the Enchantment in control. Wichita State’s alumni shot 1-for-8 from three-point range in the second half. The Enchantment’s 21 points off of the AfterShocks 17 turnovers was the cherry on top for Kenny Thomas’ group.
The Enchantment will need to capitalize on their free-throws moving forward, as going 11-for-17 (64%) isn’t ideal — a mishap that kept them from closing out the game earlier. Their inability to find more offensive possessions comes from a lack of offensive rebounds, something that’s attributed to their lack of size and physicality down-low.
The AfterShocks continued to keep their flame alive despite The Enchantment’s efforts to blow it out. They forced The Enchantment to take unnecessary shots late in the game — creating more opportunities to stay within reach in the fourth quarter.
But the game was essentially put to bed. KJ Jenkins, Jemel Jones and CJ Noland’s statsheets won’t flatter anyone, but combining for three consecutive steals and scores to make the game 64-54 with under seven minutes left, put the smell of victory in the air.
The final four minutes were played under the Elam Ending, where the clock is turned off and the first team to reach a target score of eight points above the leading team's score wins.
Jackson opened the game on fire and ended it as such, knocking down two three-pointers — his seventh being the game-winner — to send The Enchantment back to Koch Arena on Friday night for an opportunity to advance to round 2 of TBT.
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“I told everybody on my team we (were) gonna shock the world (tonight),” Jackson said. “Everybody on Friday (needs to) tune in. We are gonna do the same thing.”
Edge Garcia is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @ByEdgeGarcia
