It was a death by a thousand cuts for The Enchantment on Friday night, as their TBT run came to an end after a nail-biting Game three loss to the reigning TBT champion, AfterShocks, 73-67.
The Enchantment controlled the majority of the first half after the AfterShocks stumbled out of the gate, committing turnover after turnover while failing to connect at all beyond the arc. The Enchantment landed seven 3-pointers in the first half, while the AfterShocks shot 0-for-5.
Guards KJ Jenkins and CJ Noland had 8 points and 2 three-pointers apiece in the first quarter, aiding a 13-3 run that bled into the second quarter, giving The Enchantment control of the game early on — until it started to slip away.
Game two’s spark never reignited for Vance Jackson, who shot 2-for-10 from the field in 31 minutes played. Unfortunately, his teammates weren’t able to pick up the slack down the stretch after amassing 38 points in the first half, and managing just 24 points before the Elam Ending.
Despite countless early turnovers by the AfterShocks, The Enchantment could not defend center Marcus Santos-Silva, who dominated inside the paint, keeping the AfterShocks afloat while the rest of the offense searched for answers.
The Enchantment’s front and back courts are small, an advantage when attacking the AfterShocks’ bigs, but leaves them vulnerable in the paint, which allowed Santos-Silva to play bully-ball for over 30 minutes.
The dam started to break for The Enchantment in the third quarter. Momentum carried over from the end of the first half for the AfterShocks, and the Wichita State faithful made their presence known when three-pointers started finding the net. The AfterShocks went into the final quarter outscoring The Enchantment 24-13 after a pivotal 10-0 run with under four minutes remaining.
Over the three-game series, The Enchantment shot 24-for-45 (53%) from the free-throw line. Combined with offensive struggles in two of the three games, New Mexico's alumni faced an uphill battle that ultimately proved too steep to overcome on the road.
Jemel Jones found his rhythm with eight third-quarter points, but his five fouls entering the fourth quarter limited his impact when The Enchantment needed him most. The AfterShocks built an eight-point lead during the Elam Ending, and despite New Mexico’s alumni mounting one final push, QJ Peterson knocked down the game-winning three-pointer to send the reigning TBT champions onto the second round.
Considering how bleak things looked for The Enchantment after Game one, there was plenty to build off of after dominating Game two and taking the defending champions down to the wire in a win-or-go-home environment on the road in Game three.
It wasn’t the ending The Enchantment wanted, but an encouraging blueprint has been laid out for future TBT runs going forward.
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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