Dayton-bound: Wichita’s own Conner Frankamp sends AfterShocks to TBT quarterfinals
All eyes were on Conner Frankamp, but all the hometown hero wanted to do was catch his breath on the bench.
The previous minute was a blur.
Another AfterShocks comeback mounted during the Elam Ending. Another Frankamp game-winner to set off pandemonium at Koch Arena. The swished three. The Are you not entertained? pose. The “three goggles” celebration. The sprint around the court, a victory lap of unbridled joy.
When it was all over — with the AfterShocks booking their trip to Dayton and The Basketball Tournament quarterfinals courtesy of a 69-65 win over Team Challenge ALS — Frankamp needed to sit. The realization was sinking in: the AfterShocks are now three wins away from the $1 million prize.
“I was exhausted,” Frankamp said. “I was so tired from sprinting as fast as I could after I made that shot. Just a lot of emotions set in from the crowd being so good. I just wanted to sit down and take it all in.”
A better script could not have been written for the 6,510 fans in attendance, which was the second-largest crowd in TBT history — second only to the AfterShocks’ debut game at Koch Arena in 2019 with a record 7,154 fans.
Not only did the Wichita State alumni team advance to the TBT quarterfinals to face Florida TNT in an 11 a.m. game on July 31 in another ESPN broadcast, but it was one of Wichita’s own, Frankamp, to deliver the dramatic game-winner yet again — this time with a three-pointer in transition to end it.
“It’s fitting it would be Conner,” AfterShocks coach Zach Bush said. “It’s Conner every time (in the Elam Ending).”
Frankamp’s idea to find a seat is one a lot of Shocker fans probably thought was a good idea, that is whenever their combination of nerves and excitement finally calmed down.
For the second straight game, the AfterShocks not only entered the Elam Ending trailing but also allowed the opponent to reach striking distance of the target score first. And for the second straight game, the AfterShocks dialed up their defense, made the clutch baskets and found Frankamp at the end for the dagger.
With the target score set at 68, it was the AfterShocks’ oldest player, Clevin Hannah, who provided the spark early in the Elam Ending. He scored a layup and a pull-up three to put the AfterShocks in front, 63-62. But Challenge ALS had the answer, as Justin Dentmon (19 points) drilled a triple for a 65-63 lead — three points away from ending the game.
Much like Sunday’s game against Creighton’s Omaha Blue Crew, where the AfterShocks forced four straight turnovers to survive, their defense recorded six straight stops to stay in the game. Rashard Kelly and Zach Brown were vital to that success, as they repeatedly prevented dribble penetration from the perimeter and forced Challenge ALS into an array of turnovers and forced, contested shots at the end of the shot clock.
“It’s just like a game of 21 where you can’t let that last person get to 21 once they get to 18 or 19,” Kelly said. “You have to make them make tough shots in those situations. (The Elam Ending) does kind of remind me of my childhood at the park.”
The AfterShocks needed that many defensive stands in part because they struggled with their own late-game execution. After Tyrus McGee drilled a three-pointer to take a 66-65 lead, the AfterShocks committed two turnovers, missed a pair of free throws and missed an open three when they could have won it with two points.
The breakthrough finally came after yet another stellar defensive possession from Brown, who hounded Challenge ALS’ Dentmon and eventually tipped his desperation shot, which led to a fast break for McGee. Needing just two points to end it, McGee (10 points, 5 rebounds) had options he could have tried in transition for a layup — instead, he saw Frankamp trailing the pack wide open on the right wing. McGee flung a pass against his body backward to Frankamp, who had spotted up where the defense wasn’t.
“Conner has been playing professionally and when you have a lot of professionals on the court, it makes things easier,” McGee said. “In situations like that, they know where to be at the right time.”
Frankamp caught the ball, took a quick dribble and like so many times across so many gyms in Wichita, he let fly a three-pointer that swished perfectly through the net.
“An open three like that for Conner, that’s a layup,” Kelly said.
After watching Frankamp dissect the first two defenses he faced, Challenge ALS decided to use bigger, longer wings, instead of guards, to defend Frankamp. The strategy paid off for the majority of the game, as Frankamp entered the Elam Ending with just six points on 2-of-8 shooting and two turnovers.
But when the game was on the line, Frankamp delivered his best like he has so many times.
“Give all of the credit to Tyrus,” said Frankamp, who finished with nine points. “He drove and I was open and he made a great pass and I was able to knock that shot down.
“I was pretty tired tonight the entire game. I haven’t played three games in six days like that in a while. My body was not used to that.”
Markis McDuffie led the team in scoring with 13 points, while David DiLeo added 11 points and drilled his first three three-pointers, much to the delight of the crowd after he was 0-for-11 in his first two games in Wichita. Kelly added seven points and a team-high six rebounds.
Despite entering with a noticeable size disadvantage, the AfterShocks were able to win the rebounding battle, 35-30.
“Defensive toughness, rebounding, unbelievable heart, effort, that’s what this program has been built on for the last 10-plus years,” Bush said. “These guys just fight. They don’t say die. They find a way. They continue to find a way. It’s so much fun. I don’t want the ride to end.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 10:19 PM.
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