July 23 | Wichita, Kan.
The Enchantment (New Mexico Alumni) responded in a big way Thursday night, defeating the AfterShocks (Wichita State Alumni) 74-68 at Charles Koch Arena to even their best-of-three first-round series at one game apiece and force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Friday night.
After suffering a 21-point loss in Monday’s opener, New Mexico came out with a completely different energy, racing to an 11-1 lead. The AfterShocks gradually settled in and chipped away at the deficit throughout the second quarter, pulling within a single point, 34-33, by halftime.
Wichita State briefly grabbed its first lead early in the third quarter, but The Enchantment quickly answered. Sparked by Jackson’s outside shooting and a defense that forced timely turnovers, New Mexico ripped off a 16-5 run to regain control, taking a 57-50 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The AfterShocks refused to go away, trimming the deficit to 66-65 entering the Elam Ending with the target score set at 74. Conner Frankamp and Wichita State continued to apply pressure, cutting the margin to just one possession, but Jackson delivered the final blow, knocking down his seventh three-pointer of the night to reach the target score and send the series to a decisive Game 3.
Jackson finished with a game-high 29 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 7-of-8 from beyond the arc, while adding five rebounds. KJ Jenkins chipped in 12 points and five assists, and Jemel Jones contributed nine points, seven rebounds and four steals as New Mexico forced 17 AfterShocks turnovers and converted them into 21 points.
Frankamp led Wichita State with 11 points as the only Shocker in double-digits. The AfterShocks outrebounded The Enchantment 36-26, but couldn’t overcome the visitors’ hot shooting from beyond the arc, where New Mexico connected on 13 three-pointers at a 39.4 percent clip.
With the series tied at one game apiece, the AfterShocks and The Enchantment will return to Charles Koch Arena on Friday night for a winner-take-all Game 3 at 8pm CT on FS2, with a trip to the Alumni Semifinals on the line. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
