photo by: Justin Mohling/The Basketball Tournament

JHX Hoops' David McCormack leaps with the ball against Heartfire on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City, Mo. — Momentum swung the way of the Kansas alumni team JHX Hoops late in each of its first two games of The Basketball Tournament, but on Wednesday JHX found itself on the receiving end of a pivotal run.

After the former Jayhawks surged ahead 59-51 early in the fourth quarter, they conceded a 15-3 run to Arizona-based team Heartfire that encompassed part of the Elam Ending.

Despite a late go-ahead 3-pointer by Zeke Mayo, the KU alumni went home in the third round for the third straight year, as Eric Washington scored the final five points for Heartfire. His fadeaway jumper on the baseline condemned JHX to a 71-68 loss at Municipal Auditorium.

Heartfire’s Marcus Hall led all scorers with 16 points, and two of his 3-pointers were pivotal in his team’s late rally. Tevin Mack scored 14 and Eric Griffin added 12.

David McCormack did most of his damage in the first half and finished with 15 points to go with seven rebounds. Billy Preston added 14, and Mayo scored 12 with seven rebounds of his own.

“I think we let it slip through our hands,” JHX Hoops coach Sherron Collins said. “We had multiple chances to put them away and we didn’t. Just lackadaisical mistakes. We knew this was a game that the big things wouldn’t hurt us, it’s the little things like rebounding, getting back on defense, holding them to one shot, when we let them get multiple offensive rebounds.”

JHX managed to make up most of its early rebounding disadvantage, but still got outscored by 18 points in the paint.

“It was a physical game all game, but some stuff just didn’t go our way,” Mayo said. “They got 50/50 balls that were in our hands and they just somehow ended up with. It sucks to lose, obviously.”

In the opening minutes, both teams generated large quantities of shots but struggled to capitalize. The solution for Heartfire was to opt for the highest-percentage shots possible: a pair of dunks by Eric Griffin, which put the Arizona-based team ahead 8-4 and prompted an early timeout by JHX Hoops. The KU alumni started 2-for-12 from the field before McCormack subbed in and flipped in a close-range shot that made it 11-7.

JHX trailed by two points with a chance to tie in the final minute of the quarter, but Jacob Hanna missed a layup and the team couldn’t get down quickly enough for a shot after Kevin Young forced a turnover by Bryan Griffin.

Eric Griffin’s 3-pointer with six minutes to go in the second quarter gave Heartfire its largest lead at 24-15, but after a media timeout midway through the period, JHX gained some ground with four straight by Preston.

Griffin was blocked under the basket after faking out of a possible corner 3 in the waning seconds of the first half, and Heartfire led 33-29 entering the break. McCormack was the top scorer with 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting.

JHX opened the second half with a three-point play after Heartfire fouled Preston on a jump shot before Mack and Mayo traded 3s. McCormack gave the KU alumni their first lead of the night at 37-36 with a deep jumper.

Lagerald Vick helped JHX sustain some of its offensive verve with a crafty layup and a stepback 3, even as Heartfire kept pace.

With the game tied at 47, Nick Timberlake got on the board with a go-ahead left-wing 3, and the KU alumni went ahead by six points before Heartfire called timeout late in the third quarter.

JHX led 55-51 and was inbounding the ball with 16.8 seconds left when Marcus Bell committed his second technical foul of the game (as part of a double technical with Griffin) and was ejected.

“I felt like they could have stopped it way before it got out of hand,” Collins said. “Marcus probably could have chilled down a little bit, but I don’t know what you’re supposed to do — somebody’s in your way not letting you run.”

The KU alumni had a chance to stretch their lead to double digits in the final frame before allowing seven straight points, highlighted by Hall’s corner 3.

Just before the Elam Ending, Preston missed a dunk that led to another 3-pointer by Hall, this time to give Heartfire the lead at 63-62.

With Heartfire holding the ball and up one point at 66-65, Hall’s errant pass skidded down the sideline, and Vick flipped it in to Mayo, whose 3-pointer from the left wing restored the lead to JHX.

“We still needed three more points,” Mayo said.

After a timeout, Heartfire had an answer, as Washington scored through a foul by Hanna and converted the ensuing free throw.

McCormack saw the ball slip through his hands under the basket on JHX’s next possession, setting up Washington’s game-winner.

“It was just rough those last three possessions,” Collins said. “We got the bad end of it. We just came up short but those last possessions really hurt us.”

Heartfire advances to Wichita to face Wichita State alumni team Aftershocks in Sunday’s quarterfinal.