photo by: Mark Kuhlmann/TBT

Mass Street's Kevin Young faces off against Heartfire's Eric Griffin during a game at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita on July 23, 2023.

Heartfire seized control in the second quarter and never relinquished it.

The veteran squad, coached by longtime NBA player and ESPN analyst LaPhonso Ellis and making a repeat run through The Basketball Tournament, shook off an early slump to score 10 straight points in the second quarter as part of a 20-6 streak.

Mass Street never got within five points for the remainder of the game, and the depleted Kansas alumni team — playing without point guard and leader Tyshawn Taylor for the second time in three TBT games — fell 73-60 in Wichita Sunday afternoon. Heartfire guard John Gillon, who played for three colleges and most recently professionally in Lithuania, sank the game-winning drive over Kevin Young to conclude the Elam Ending, and bring Mass Street’s run to a close.

That also meant the end of the career of Keith Langford, a longtime overseas standout following his KU days, who had said TBT would be his farewell to professional basketball. Langford converted just one field goal Sunday after helping lead Mass Street to narrow victories against We Are D3 on Wednesday and Show Me Squad on Saturday.

Instead, and in Taylor’s absence, the KU alumni team’s leading scorer was La Salle product Rodney Green, a former high school teammate of the Morris twins (Mass Street’s coaches) who shot early and often against Heartfire and ended up 6-for-11 with 13 points.

Mario Little, Lagerald Vick and TBT hero Thomas Robinson (who scored game-winners in both of Mass Street’s wins) were all in double digits, but none of them were efficient, as Mass Street shot just 34 percent on the night and, in a big departure from Saturday, 5-for-28 from long range. Robinson got into foul trouble early and racked up four in the first half, which didn’t help matters, as he could only play 25 minutes.

While Mass Street was making its first-ever run through TBT — just the second ever by a Kansas alumni squad — Heartfire fielded plenty of experience in the million-dollar tournament, headlined by point guard Marcus Hall from Colorado. Hall scored 8 points, including a pair of 3s, in that second-quarter run, and finished the afternoon with a game-high 15. That effort helped him move closer to becoming TBT’s all-time leading scorer; he currently sits in second place.

Larry Owens and Richard Solomon were also in double digits for the well-balanced Heartfire offense. The second-seeded squad prevented a KU-Wichita State battle in the quarterfinal, and will take on the WSU alumni Aftershocks team in a hostile environment Tuesday.

For its part, Mass Street, which is a project of the name, image and likeness fundraising collective of the same name, said on its Twitter account that the KU alumni team will “DEFINITELY be back.” In a tweet of his own, Langford said he will help coach the TBT team next year and attempt to recruit some younger players.

photo by: Mark Kuhlmann/TBT

Mass Street’s Keith Langford dribbles the ball during a game at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita on July 23, 2023.

photo by: Mark Kuhlmann/TBT

Mass Street’s Brandon Rush pulls up for a 3-pointer during a game at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita on July 23, 2023.

photo by: Mark Kuhlmann/TBT

Mass Street’s Mario Little shoots over Heartfire’s Craig Sword during a game at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita on July 23, 2023.

photo by: Mark Kuhlmann/TBT

Mass Street’s Keith Langford brings the ball up the court during a game at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita on July 23, 2023.