photo by: The Basketball Tournament

JHX Hoops guard Frank Mason III controls the ball during a game against Purple Reign on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Manhattan.

MANHATTAN — The Kansas alumni team JHX Hoops is on the brink of first-round elimination from The Basketball Tournament after losing 80-61 to Kansas State alumni team Purple Reign on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

Michael Beasley led Purple Reign with 20 points and six assists, and Austin Trice’s 16 helped the former Wildcats keep their distance late, while Billy Preston scored 15 for JHX with seven rebounds.

The two squads will continue their best-of-three series at Washburn’s Lee Arena, the designated KU home arena for the event, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. JHX will need to win to force another rematch on Friday.

The KU alumni got off to a sluggish start, between Purple Reign’s defense and a couple of early alley-oops that electrified the crowd of 3,192 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Kansas State alumni went ahead 10-1 on a pair of free throws by Beasley before Preston snagged an offensive rebound and drove in for JHX’s first field goal of the night — only for Beasley to respond with a right-wing 3-pointer on the next possession.

JHX cut its deficit somewhat, but 3s by Xavier Sneed and Shaun Williams kept the K-State alumni in front. A thunderous two-handed dunk by JHX guard Jacob Hanna gave his team a bit of momentum before Cartier Diarra responded with a layup in the waning moments that made it 23-13.

Marcus Garrett willed the former Jayhawks back into contention with two rebounds, two tough layups and a steal early in the second quarter, but a series of fouls prevented them gaining much momentum. A 3-pointer by Beasley and transition dunk by Williams gave Purple Reign a 14-point lead early in the quarter nonetheless.

The KSU alumni embarked on a 14-2 run that ended with a putback by Carlton Bragg Jr. JHX then proceeded to tighten up on defense to such an extent that it allowed just two more points in the final three minutes and 40 seconds of the first half, but didn’t do much in response and went into the break down 39-25.

JHX turned the ball over 12 times in the first half compared to five for Purple Reign. Beasley led all players with 13 points, while no Jayhawk had scored more than seven.

Garrett did not return after exiting at the 3:36 mark in the second quarter. The addition of Hanna to the second-half starting lineup did not initially do much to alter the flow of the game, although the KU alumni crept back in and cut their deficit to 11 before an alley-oop layup by Williams.

A pair of tough buckets inside by Trice hindered JHX’s attempts at a comeback late in the third quarter. Beasley was whistled for a technical foul after bumping into JHX’s Tra-Deon Hollins in the aftermath of a transition layup, which allowed Zeke Mayo to make a pair of free throws. Preston added a layup of his own soon afterward, and Hanna brought JHX back within single digits at 55-47 in the final minute of the third quarter.

The KU alumni never got closer than eight points. Trice threw down a one-handed alley-oop dunk that made it 65-51 early in the fourth and fired up the crowd in the process.

Purple Reign entered the Elam Ending with a 72-59 lead after Brandon Childress was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws. Childress ended up knocking down the final jumper that made it 80-61.