How the AfterShocks blitzed Challenge ALS, advanced to another TBT regional final
The AfterShocks didn’t leave anything to chance Sunday night.
They buried Challenge ALS with a barrage of 3-pointers, smothered their biggest star and never let up in an 85-68 demolition that sent Koch Arena into celebration mode and booked a return trip to another regional final in The Basketball Tournament.
Now comes the real heavyweight clash. The AfterShocks will face Forever Coogs, a Houston alumni team that reached the championship final of the $1 million tournament last summer, in Tuesday’s Sweet 16 matchup at 8 p.m., streamed live on YouTube.
“Our biggest asset is that we can go at teams in waves,” AfterShocks head coach Zach Bush said. “We have a legitimate 10 guys who can affect the game.”
On a night that showcased the team’s depth, it wasn’t the Shocker alums who carried the load. It was the TBT “transfer portal” class, as Bush called the group of non-WSU players, as Nike Sibande, Leyton Hammonds, Marcus Keene, Jordan Woodard, Chevez Goodwin and Marcus Santos-Silva combined for 70 of the team’s 85 points.
Sibande led the charge with 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Hammonds splashed four 3-pointers on his way to 16. The bench racked up 59 points. For once, the burden didn’t fall on the shoulders of Shocker stalwarts like Conner Frankamp (limited to 12 minutes as an injury precaution), Markis McDuffie, Rashard Kelly and Trey Wade.
“I don’t really get wrapped up in that because once we ask them to be here, they’re part of the brotherhood,” said Bush, a former Shocker himself. “It’s not like we’re looking in game, ‘Do we need to get one more Shocker on the floor?’ We’re about winning. This group wants to win. That’s Shocker, no Shocker.”
It’s hard to argue with the results. The AfterShocks are back in a regional final for the fourth time in five years and improved to 13-3 under Bush at Koch Arena. One more win would punch their ticket to the Elite Eight again, joining the ranks of other top-tier alumni squads from Syracuse, Marquette and Ohio State as the only to make four TBT Elite 8 runs.
Sunday’s performance was a statement, particularly on the glass. After giving up 20 offensive rebounds in their opening-round win, the AfterShocks dominated the boards, 44-27, and limited Challenge ALS to just four second-chance opportunities. That 87.9% defensive rebounding rate would’ve made Gregg Marshall nod in approval.
A key difference-maker was Santos-Silva, who cracked the starting lineup and was tasked with neutralizing Challenge ALS star D.J. Burns, the 6-foot-7, 275-pound former N.C. State star. Mission accomplished: Burns scored just two first-half points on 1-of-3 shooting and finished with a quiet nine points and two rebounds.
Santos-Silva didn’t overpower Burns, rather he outmaneuvered him, using quick hands, active feet and relentless positioning to frustrate one of TBT’s most skilled big men.
“We talked about bringing the fight to them and I loved how we were the aggressor the whole night,” Bush said. “(Santos-Silva) changed the game with his ability to hold his own down on the block. We knew we wouldn’t have to stress our defense so much and have to be in help situations constantly.”
The game didn’t start that way. Challenge ALS jumped out to a 13-9 lead midway through the first quarter. But the AfterShocks flipped the script fast with a 17-5 run, highlighted by a trio of 3-pointers from Sibande, Hammonds and Woodard. Sibande capped the quarter with a contested triple at the buzzer, much to the delight of the around 2,000 fans in attendance.
“We were just playing with rhythm,” Sibande said. “Those plays as a collective got us in a good rhythm for everybody. We just continued to trust each other and play together.”
The wave turned into a flood in the second quarter. The AfterShocks rattled off the first 12 points with Hammonds and Woodard hitting again from deep and Keene sinking three free throws after being fouled on a triple. Suddenly it was 38-18 and Challenge ALS was staggered.
To their credit, the TBT veterans made a push. They trimmed the lead to 61-52 late in the third quarter and kept hanging around into the fourth. But Sibande iced it with a four-point play at the 6:14 mark that stretched the lead to 75-55 and sent the building into exhale mode.
Unlike past TBT thrillers inside the Roundhouse, this one didn’t require nerves in the Elam Ending. The AfterShocks coasted across the finish line with Goodwin delivering the game-ending bucket inside.
Bush praised his team’s maturity, not just in how they played, but how they handled their roles.
“I’m impressed with the togetherness of this group,” Bush said. “This group even more so than the others has a belief in one another and that comes from a place of selflessness. It’s easy if you’re only playing 16 minutes to be frustrated because a lot of these guys are used to being the man on their team. So to be more of a servant leader and to allow other guys to shine is such an asset. I’m just so impressed with this group of guys and their character. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2025 at 10:02 PM.
.jpg)