Wichita State’s AfterShocks are now two wins away from $1 million and TBT title

Two is the magic number for the AfterShocks.

Two more wins. Two more summer celebrations in the Roundhouse. Two more chances for a McDuffie slide. And then, the $1 million prize and The Basketball Tournament championship would be theirs.

With a 74-68 quarterfinal victory over Heartfire on Sunday at Koch Arena, the Wichita State alumni squad advanced to the TBT Final Four for the second in program history.

But unlike their 2022 run, which required them to hit the road, they won’t have to leave the Roundhouse this time. The rest of the tournament runs through Wichita, as long as they keep winning.

Next up is We Are D3, a surprise Final Four team that the AfterShocks will face at 7 p.m. Thursday. Once again, it’ll be on their home floor, backed by perhaps the most raucous crowd in TBT. The game will be broadcast nationally on FS1.

“It’s always special to play in front of this crowd,” said WSU alumni Markis McDuffie, who scored 13 points Sunday. “But you’re asking somebody who’s used to this. I already know this, so I want (the newcomers) to see it and really feel it. Because this is special right here.”

WSU fans delivered again. More than 4,000 packed Koch Arena, creating the kind of energy that’s become the signature of the AfterShocks’ summer runs.

And this time, it was personal.

Heartfire was the same team that embarrassed the AfterShocks on their home floor in a 2023 quarterfinal, winning by 23 on the way to a TBT title. That sting still lingered.

“It definitely left a bad taste in our mouths from what happened two years ago,” AfterShocks coach Zach Bush said. “They were definitely the better team that game, but we did not put our best foot forward. That was frustrating and in everybody’s minds, even the guys who didn’t play in that game. Everyone knew this was a chance at a little get-back.”

Sunday’s game was a high-level, back-and-forth battle until the AfterShocks seized control midway through the third quarter. Marcus Keene, who scored a team-high 15 points, buried a 3 to ignite the crowd. Then Heartfire’s Eric Griffin flubbed a dunk, leading to a fast-break opportunity where Keene kicked it out to McDuffie for a wide-open corner 3.

Swish. Koch Arena erupted and Heartfire was forced to burn a timeout after the home team opened up a 44-35 lead.

“That might have been the stretch that won us the game,” Bush said. “That’s when our crowd really got into it. They fuel us. You feel it every time you get a big stop or make a big play. We’re just super grateful for them. I hope it never goes unnoticed.”

Heartfire didn’t fold. They closed the gap to 56-50 early in the fourth, but Keene answered with a pull-up triple, then weaved through traffic for a layup to rebuild the cushion.

Even when Heartfire cut the deficit to four on three separate occasions during the Elam Ending — 68-64, 70-66, 72-68 — the AfterShocks responded with clutch buckets every time.

The game ended on a gritty play: Nike Sibande (10 points) corralled his own miss and powered back up for the game-winner, sparking one final eruption from the crowd.

“We won on a putback rebound,” said Rashard Kelly, a WSU alum who added eight points and six rebounds. “If that’s not Wichita State basketball, then I don’t know what is.”

James Woodard added a timely 12 points, while the AfterShocks’ defense held a high-octane Heartfire team to just 42% shooting and a frigid 6-of-29 from deep.

That defensive toughness has been the backbone of the AfterShocks’ postseason identity. With the win, they improved to 15-3 at Koch Arena over the last five summers.

For the AfterShocks, Koch Arena isn’t just where they play. It’s the advantage.

And if they win two more times in the building they know better than anyone, home will also be the payday.

“Two more to go,” Sibande said. “But we’re focused on just taking care of business one game at a time. One game at a time and we’ll be alright.”

This story was originally published July 27, 2025 at 10:30 PM.