Wichita State fans left stunned by AfterShocks’ second-round TBT loss to Colorado

An eerie silence came over Koch Arena, as no one in black or yellow knew quite what to do.

A crowd of nearly 4,000 was left stunned, the only sounds coming from the 10 players on the visiting team celebrating on the court late Monday evening.

The AfterShocks almost never lose at home and almost never this early in The Basketball Tournament. Even with Team Colorado in control for the entire Elam Ending, there was a shared belief between the former Wichita State players and their fans that they would find a way to conjure Roundhouse magic in time to escape.

And then, poof, the annual summer run through the 64-team tournament ended in the second round — snapping the program’s streak of three consecutive regional championships.

The AfterShocks forced the missed shot they needed to stay alive, but failed to secure the rebound and D’Shawn Schwartz made them pay with a 3-pointer to hit the target score in a 65-61 victory. It will be Team Colorado, not the AfterShocks, to play Mass Street, KU’s alumni squad, in Wednesday’s 8 p.m. regional final at Koch Arena.

“We’ve been in so many tough situations in the past and these guys have made it go their way,” AfterShocks coach Zach Bush said. “They got the stops and came up with the big-time plays. So to not see that happen, it was just… weird. It was like, ‘(Dang), is this really happening right now?’”

The AfterShocks dropped to 11-2 inside Koch Arena under Bush, as the alumni team was the only TBT program to reach at least the Elite 8 the last three years.

Another extended run seemed in the works during the third quarter of Monday’s game, as the AfterShocks electrified the crowd with their defense and scored 12 unanswered points to take a 44-33 lead. Markis McDuffie scored eight of his team-high 17 points during the rally, capping the run with a long jumper while being fouled to complete a three-point play.

But that’s when disaster struck.

Led by NBA veteran Andre Roberson, who scored a game-high 22 points, Team Colorado used its own brand of suffocating defense to flip the momentum of the game.

From the moment the AfterShocks took their largest lead, they went more than four straight minutes without a single point. During that same span, Colorado ripped off a 17-0 run — many of those points fueled by four AfterShocks turnovers committed in the first five possessions of the fourth quarter.

“We were talking about trying to go into the Elam Ending up 10 and then all of a sudden, the game completely shifted,” Bush said. “We were in a really good position, but turnovers and the O-boards killed us. That’s the game right there.”

After falling behind 52-46, the AfterShocks managed to trim the deficit to 57-55 entering the Elam Ending with a turnaround Rashard Kelly jump shot and a steal and pair of free throws by McDuffie.

With the target score set at 65, Colorado hit first with a 3-pointer by Jaizec Lottie on the opening possession. But the AfterShocks punched back, as Memphis graduate Jeremiah Martin (17 points) scored on back-to-back drives to trim the deficit to 60-59.

Colorado’s next possession nearly ended in a turnover, as Martin poked the ball loose from Lottie, but a scramble ensued, Colorado won the loose ball and then George King finished with a tip-in for a 62-59 lead.

The AfterShocks still felt like they were destined to win when McDuffie hustled back for a chase-down block to erase a sure layup by Colorado, which led to a bucket by Trey Wade at the other end. Still, the AfterShocks trailed 62-61 and needed two more stops and scores to hit the target score.

They nearly had the first when Lottie missed a wild runner in the lane, but the AfterShocks gave up their 14th offensive rebound, and this one proved to be fatal when King found Schwartz open for the kick-out winner.

“It felt so weird because we’re not used to losing this early,” McDuffie said. “We had the lead, but we made some mistakes and they hit some big shots. Shoutout to them. I think they were the more mature team tonight.”

Adding to the sting was missing out on what would have been a highly-anticipated showdown against KU’s alumni team, Mass Street, in Wednesday’s regional final.

While the AfterShocks have become a staple of TBT, their future is usually handled on a year-by-year basis. There’s no promise of a next year, but McDuffie was one who seemed more motivated by this summer’s early exit.

“Hell yeah, I want to run it back,” McDuffie said. “I feel like we’re one guy away from really making a run at this thing. We need that dominant presence down low. Our guard play is good and we’ve got some versatile wings. We need that dominant presence on the block. Once we get that, we’ll be good.”