Great Scott! Bamforth leads Enchantment to TBT’s Round of 16
Del Norte grad’s hot start propels NM-based team
The Air Raiders, a team of Texas Tech basketball alumni, were ready to defend their home court Friday night in Lubbock against all those former New Mexico Lobos and former NMSU Aggies who make up most of The Enchantment’s roster.
But they had no clue what to do about the Albuquerque kid who wasn’t recruited by either of those schools.
Del Norte High School graduate Scott Bamforth hit his first seven shots and scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the opening quarter to absolutely stun the home squad in a lopsided 84-67 Enchantment victory to advance to Sunday’s Round of 16 of the $1-million, winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament.
The Enchantment shot a blistering 78.6% in the opening quarter (11-of-14 from the field including 7-of-9 from 3-point range), led 24-3 at one point and later by as many as 30 (37-7 in the second quarter).
Bamforth ended with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists. And even when he wasn’t scoring like that opening quarter, the Air Raiders were paying close attention to him anytime he was on the court.
The Air Raiders made a run to get the announced United Supermarkets Arena crowd of 5,123 back into the game during a 27-14 third quarter. The home team hit 11-of-12 free throws and cut the lead to 66-58 at one point; most of the damage was done while Bamforth was on the bench in the quarter resting to close out the game in the fourth quarter.
In the final frame, Bamforth hit two of his six 3-pointers in the first two minutes, and Enchantment led 76-61 at the final media timeout of the game when the tournament’s Elam Ending format turns the clock off and sets a target score eight points higher than that leading team’s score. That eliminates late-game fouling or stall tactics and ensuring every game ends only on a score.
The target score was set at 84, meaning the first team to reach that would win the game.
Former Lobo Troy Simons took over in the final run, scoring all eight points for Enchantment — a pair of 3-pointers and an emphatic game-deciding alley-oop dunk assisted by — who else? — Bamforth.
Enchantment shot 51.7% from the field and was 16-of-24 (66.7%) from 3-point range with four players scoring in double figures: Bamforth 24, Simons and former New Mexico Aggie Evan Gilyard II with 15 apiece, and former Aggie Johnny McCants with 11. Cibola High graduate Christian Cunningham, who had 18 points in Wednesday’s first-round win, had 5 points and 11 rebounds.
Air Raiders were held to 36.4% shooting and Enchantment won the battle of the boards 41-26.
PUMA PAYOFF: As part of the TBT’s uniquely-marketed event, any player who hits the game-ending Elam Ending shot and is wearing Puma sneakers in the game wins $1,000.
Simons danced on the court after his dunk, pointing to his Pumas.
Gilyard, who was wearing Nikes when he hit Wednesday night’s game-ending shot for Enchantment, had on Pumas for Friday night’s game.