Rally Comes Up Short as Purple & Black Falls in TBT
Jul 21, 2023 | Men's Basketball
Mike McGuirl led the way with 16 points
WICHITA, Kan. – The Purple & Black – Kansas State's men's basketball alumni team – did its best to rally from a double-digit deficit, closing to within 57-52 with less than 4 minutes to play, but could get no closer in a 63-52 loss to No. 3 seed Team Arkansas on Friday night (July 21) in the second round of the TBT Wichita Regional at Koch Arena.
Team Arkansas advances to play top-seeded AfterShocks (Wichita State Alumni) on Sunday at 3 p.m., CT.
A game after shooting nearly 50 percent in an easy opening-round win over DaGuys STL, the Purple & Black struggled mightily from the field in the loss to Team Arkansas (Arkansas Alumni), hitting on just 30.2 percent (19-of-63), including 20 percent (6-of-30) from 3-point range. In contrast, Team Arkansas shot 45.3 percent (24-of-53) from the field, dominating the paint by a score of 40-18.
Mike McGuirl led the Purple & Black with 16 points, hitting on 7-of-14 from the field to go with 6 rebounds. Kamau Stokes added 9 points, 4 rebounds and a team-high 3 assists.
The second quarter proved to be the difference, as Team Arkansas blew open an early 18-12 lead with a 19-9 run in the second quarter to take a 37-21 halftime advantage. Behind 9 points from McGuirl, the Purple & Black closed the gap to 47-38 with a 17-10 third quarter. The team made one last rally, using a 10-4 run to close to within 57-52 with less than 4 minutes remaining, but Team Arkansas scored the last 6 points to clinch the victory.
The Basketball Tournament is a $1 million winner-take-all summer tournament featuring former college and professional athletes. The 64-team field runs from July 19 to August 3 with regionals in Dayton, Louisville, Lubbock, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wichita and Xavier. The Final Four is in Philadelphia August 2-3.
Organized by former Wildcats Jordan Henriquez and Martavious Irving, the Purple & Black Team is in seventh year competing in the TBT. Henriquez served as the team's GM and head coach for the third straight summer, while he was assisted by former Wildcats Clent Stewart (2004-08) and Curtis Kelly (2008-11).
The team included several notable Wildcats including Henry Walker (2006-08), Thomas Gipson III (2011-15), D.J. Johnson (2012-17), Justin Edwards (2013-16), Marcus Foster (2013-15), Jevon Thomas (2013-15), Kamau Stokes (2015-19) and Mike McGuirl (2017-22). Members of the 2023 Elite Eight run – Abayomi Iyiola (2022-23) and Desi Sills (2022-23) – were also on the roster.
For more information on this year's TBT, visit TheTournament.com.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Arkansas advances to play top-seeded AfterShocks (Wichita State Alumni) on Sunday at 3 p.m., CT.
A game after shooting nearly 50 percent in an easy opening-round win over DaGuys STL, the Purple & Black struggled mightily from the field in the loss to Team Arkansas (Arkansas Alumni), hitting on just 30.2 percent (19-of-63), including 20 percent (6-of-30) from 3-point range. In contrast, Team Arkansas shot 45.3 percent (24-of-53) from the field, dominating the paint by a score of 40-18.
Mike McGuirl led the Purple & Black with 16 points, hitting on 7-of-14 from the field to go with 6 rebounds. Kamau Stokes added 9 points, 4 rebounds and a team-high 3 assists.
The second quarter proved to be the difference, as Team Arkansas blew open an early 18-12 lead with a 19-9 run in the second quarter to take a 37-21 halftime advantage. Behind 9 points from McGuirl, the Purple & Black closed the gap to 47-38 with a 17-10 third quarter. The team made one last rally, using a 10-4 run to close to within 57-52 with less than 4 minutes remaining, but Team Arkansas scored the last 6 points to clinch the victory.
The Basketball Tournament is a $1 million winner-take-all summer tournament featuring former college and professional athletes. The 64-team field runs from July 19 to August 3 with regionals in Dayton, Louisville, Lubbock, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wichita and Xavier. The Final Four is in Philadelphia August 2-3.
Organized by former Wildcats Jordan Henriquez and Martavious Irving, the Purple & Black Team is in seventh year competing in the TBT. Henriquez served as the team's GM and head coach for the third straight summer, while he was assisted by former Wildcats Clent Stewart (2004-08) and Curtis Kelly (2008-11).
The team included several notable Wildcats including Henry Walker (2006-08), Thomas Gipson III (2011-15), D.J. Johnson (2012-17), Justin Edwards (2013-16), Marcus Foster (2013-15), Jevon Thomas (2013-15), Kamau Stokes (2015-19) and Mike McGuirl (2017-22). Members of the 2023 Elite Eight run – Abayomi Iyiola (2022-23) and Desi Sills (2022-23) – were also on the roster.
For more information on this year's TBT, visit TheTournament.com.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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