Basketball Tournament
Mass Street’s Frank Mason drives against Ram Up’s Kendall Moore during a game on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
WICHITA — Frank Mason III turned back the clock to 2017.
The former Kansas Player of the Year once again donned the crimson and blue seven years after his collegiate career ended, leading the Kansas alumni Massachusetts Street team to an 81-68 victory over Ram Up in the first round of the basketball tournament at Charles Koch Arena.
Mason’s leadership as a point guard helped bring a sense of unity to a motley Massachusetts Street squad that included players from various eras at Kansas, some who never played for the Jayhawks, and added a bit of offensive flair that was missing in Wednesday’s pre-tournament scrimmage at Johnson County Community College. He finished with a team-high 20 points and a game-high four assists.
“We competed, we played together, we had fun and now we move on,” Mason said simply in a video posted to TBT’s social media accounts after the game.
“I’m grateful to have Frank here,” said forward Dedric Lawson, who had 14 points and nine rebounds. “Frank makes it a lot easier. I haven’t played with a guard like that in probably three or four years overseas. A guard that can control the game, let me make shots when I need to and take over when I need to. So I’m grateful to Frank.”
Billy Preston had some great mid-range jump shots and finished with 18 points, adding eight rebounds to support Mason and Lawson.
“He was a big part of why we won the game tonight,” Mason said in the video, “and hopefully he can keep it up in the next game.”
Added Massachusetts St. coach Sherron Collins: “That’s the type of game he plays. We just wanted to let him have a spurt and do what he wanted to do.”
The Colorado State University alumni team, Ram Up, was down by 24 points in the fourth quarter but fought back with vigor and got within eight at the Elam Ending before Lawson made a three-pointer and two free throws to secure the win.
“I really credit Sherron,” Lawson said. “He called a timeout to get me to put my shoes on. I didn’t even think about putting my shoes on, but thanks to coach… I think it gave me a little bit of courage to finish the game.”
The Ram Ups got the help of Joe Palmer and Joel Scott, both members of last season’s CSU team, who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively. Scott made 7 of 12 free throws.
Preston scored Mass. Street’s first points with a turnaround jump shot, earning his place in the TBT record books despite never having played an official game for Kansas. However, it was Kansas alum Kevin Young who stood out early, grabbing two early rebounds, jumping big at the rim to block TK Edggie, and then drilling a layup to give Mass. Street its first lead of the game, 7-5.
Mass Street extended its lead as the first quarter went on, with Mason getting a behind-the-back pass to Lawson in transition for a layup. Mason then drove to the basket, dodged a tall defender and scored, before Sam Cunliffe smashed in a shot from close range. Ram Up didn’t score for the final 5 minutes, 28 seconds of the first quarter and were down 19-9.
The CSU graduate switched to a zone defense and started to get on a roll early in the second quarter, breaking a scoring slump with a corner 3-pointer from Palmer, but Massachusetts St. stopped the streak thanks to two 3-pointers from Lagerald Vick, his first two points of the day.
The KU alumni led by as many as 16 points more than halfway through the second quarter, but continued foul trouble and general careless play, including missing free throws by Patrick Cartier, led to an 8-0 run by the Ram Ups, who trailed 39-31 at halftime after Mason barely made a 3-point shot in the final seconds between two defenders.
Part of the comeback was rebounding, as the CSU graduate grabbed 10 offensive rebounds by halftime and was able to keep the game close despite shooting under 30 percent in the first half, and Lawson suggested that’s going to be Massachusetts St.’s focus heading into the second round.
Preston scored the first two baskets of the second half and three of the first four. By the time five minutes had elapsed in the third quarter, he had scored a game-high 16 points and drawn a crucial third foul against a ram-up Scott.
Mass Street extended its lead to 20 points early in the fourth quarter, thanks to Mason, who slipped through Ram Up defenders for a layup late in the third quarter and gestured in celebration to the crowd.
“I think we just played together. Frank was being Frank, Dedrick was being Dedrick, and we just played to our strengths. So we just put them in space,” Collins said. “Dedrick is what we call a unicorn because he can do it all. So we just want to put them in space and let them deal with the problems that we have as an opponent.”
The KU graduate didn’t score until the 2 1/2 minutes before the Elam ending, but still went into the ending leading 73-55 with a target score of 81. But things started off ominously soon after with a turnover, and things only got worse as Masstreet was called for consecutive fouls.
“When you’re not scoring, you can’t let the other team score,” Collins said. “Our attitude was just keep defending. We’re making shots, we’re getting what we need, but we’ve got to keep defending. We gave up a little too many runs at the end, but we’ll be OK.”
Mass Street ended up with eight points on a spinning layup by Preston, a free throw by Mason and a three-pointer and two free throws by Lawson.
Mass Street will continue their efforts at 6 p.m. Monday in Wichita against the third-seeded Florida TNT, who defeated the LA Cheetahs 81-61 just prior to Mass Street’s game on Saturday night.
Box Score
Basketball TournamentMass Street team members, from left, Frank Mason, Billy Preston and Lagerald Vick talk during a game against the Ram Ups on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
Basketball TournamentMass Street’s Lagerald Vick shoots from the corner against Ram Up on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
Basketball TournamentMass Street’s Frank Mason dribbles the ball during a game against the Ram Ups on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
Basketball TournamentMass Street’s Billy Preston carries the ball across half court during a game against the Ram Ups on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
Basketball TournamentMass Street’s Billy Preston tries to slip between two Ram Up defenders during a game on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
Basketball TournamentMass Street’s Kevin Young brings the ball up the court during a game against the Ram Ups on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Wichita.
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Written by Henry Greenstein
