Thrilling Showdown: Kansas vs. Kansas State Alumni
Justin Mohling/The Basketball Tournament
Kansas City, Mo. — The first official encounter between alumni teams from Kansas and Kansas State ended in a fittingly thrilling manner.
After a double-digit deficit in the third quarter, the KU alumni, spearheaded by Zeke Mayo and player/general manager Tyshawn Taylor, managed to tie the game at 50 as they approached the Elam Ending of The Basketball Tournament.
Though the K-State alumni climbed to within a point of winning, JHX Hoops tied the game at 57 after a series of unsuccessful attempts from Purple Reign, including missed free throws. Ultimately, a decisive steal and layup by Lagerald Vick, scoring his only points of the night, secured a 59-57 victory for JHX at Municipal Auditorium on Monday evening.
Mayo led JHX with 14 points, equaled by former Jayhawk Cam Martin of Purple Reign. Additionally, David McCormack contributed nine points and ten rebounds for JHX.
The KU alumni will advance to face the top-seeded Heartfire team on Wednesday at 6 p.m., a team that eliminated them in 2023.
Martin, who faced boos during introductions, quickly scored the first two baskets for the K-State alumni, while JHX Hoops took over three minutes to score their first point, a jump shot by Marcus Bell. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm as fouls piled up, but the former Jayhawks led 9-8 after a dunk by McCormack, who missed the first game of TBT.
Purple Reign finally broke their scoring drought with a three-pointer by Diarra early in the second quarter, launching a 10-0 run. JHX’s struggles at the free-throw line kept them from closing in on Purple Reign’s lead, and they went into halftime down 27-22 after shooting 8-for-15 from the line, with no player scoring more than five points.
