JHX Hoops Rallies Past Purple Reign to Advance in The Basketball Tournament

JHX Hoops completed another comeback against Purple Reign on Friday night, defeating the Kansas State alumni team 62-55 at Bramlage Coliseum to win its best-of-three first-round series in The Basketball Tournament.

After forcing a decisive Game 3 with a comeback victory in Topeka on Wednesday, the Kansas alumni overcame another double-digit deficit, closing the game on a 13-2 run during the Elam Ending to advance to the second round.

Frank Mason III delivered the game-winning basket for the second consecutive game, driving the length of the floor for the winning layup after Purple Reign failed to make a field goal during the untimed finish.

JHX Hoops will now face Wichita State alumni team AfterShocks on Monday at 8 p.m. in Wichita. AfterShocks advanced by defeating a New Mexico alumni team 73-67 earlier Friday.

The Jayhawks found themselves in an early hole after Purple Reign opened the game on a 12-0 run behind Michael Beasley, who scored seven early points while protecting the rim with three blocks. JHX missed its first 12 field-goal attempts before Jacob Hanna finally ended the drought with a layup nearly six minutes into the contest.

Despite shooting just 23.5% from the field in the first half, JHX trimmed the deficit to 26-24 at halftime after Mason converted a four-point play in the closing seconds of the second quarter.

Kansas took its first lead early in the third quarter when Billy Preston knocked down a 3-pointer after beginning the game 0-for-8 from the field. However, Purple Reign answered with a late run to carry a 45-39 advantage into the fourth quarter and eventually stretched the lead to 10 points.

Zeke Mayo sparked the comeback, finishing with a game-high 25 points while knocking down four 3-pointers and repeatedly getting to the free-throw line late. Hanna added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Preston's third-quarter 3-pointer helped ignite the rally.

Beasley led Purple Reign with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks, while Austin Trice added 12 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

JHX sealed the victory by holding Purple Reign without a field goal throughout the Elam Ending, becoming the first Kansas alumni team to win three games in TBT history.

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