Alabama State is one of two HBCU men’s teams in this year’s field for the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets played in the very first game of the tournament on Tuesday night versus Saint Francis (PA) in the NCAA First Four, with the Hornets winning 70-68. The win was the first NCAA Tournament win for the Montgomery, Alabama HBCU.
Alabama State and Saint Francis (PA) battled in a competitive first half of their NCAA First Four matchup. Alabama State’s defense set the tone early, forcing turnovers and controlling the paint. Guard play was key for the Hornets, as they capitalized on transition opportunities. Saint Francis responded with hot shooting from beyond the arc, keeping the game close. Both teams traded leads throughout the half, with neither able to establish full control. Alabama State’s rebounding edge and aggressive play gave them a slight advantage heading into halftime, leading 34-30.
Alabama State rallied in the second half, outscoring Saint Francis 36-29.
Key players for Alabama State included Amarr Knox, who led the team with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and TJ Madlock, who contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. For Saint Francis, Juan Cranford Jr. stood out with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Riley Parker added 12 points and five rebounds.
The Hornets’ defense was instrumental, forcing 15 turnovers while committing only six themselves. They also held a slight edge in rebounding, grabbing 35 boards to the Red Flash’s 33.
The game was deadlocked at 68 apiece when the Hornets provided a dramatic finish that will surely make the “One Shining Moment” season recap at the Final Four.
TJ Madlock was fouled with 12.4 seconds left and missed the front end of a one and one that could have broken the 68-68 tie. However, Saint Francis turned the ball over on the ensuing possession giving Alabama State the ball back with 3.4 seconds remaining. Alabama State threw the ball the length of the court for a wild play that ended up with the ball being tipped to Knox who made the game-winning layup with 1 second remaining.
The win was the first ever for Alabama State in the NCAA Tournament. ASU previously had not won a game in the Division 1 NCAA Tournament. The Hornets lost to Michigan State in 2001, Duke in 2004, Morehead State in 2009, and UTSA in 2011.
Alabama State will now play No. 1 seed Auburn on Thursday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky. Tip off is set for 2:50pm at Rupp Arena and the game will be televised on CBS.
No. 16 seed Norfolk State, the other HBCU in this year’s field, plays on Friday at 6:50 pm versus No. 1 seed Florida. That game will be televised on TNT.