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Alabama State defeated Saint Francis 70-68 in the First Four on Tuesday night in Dayton, advancing to the Field of 68 this weekend.
Alabama State moved on in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at 68-68 and just a 3.4 seconds remaining, Alabama State needed to go the full length of the floor in order to win the game in regulation.
That’s exactly what happened.
After a long pass from the baseline and an ensuing scramble, Alabama State’s Amarr Knox ended up with the ball underneath the basket. Knox made the layup, putting the Hornets up 70-68 — and into the Round of 64. Saint Francis managed to get off a desperation heave at the buzzer, but the effort fell short.
Here’s video of Knox’s wild game-winner:
This is Alabama State’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win. The Hornets have been to the Big Dance a few times before and twice have played in Dayton as part of the First Four. However, they’ve lost each time they’ve been on this stage before — until now.
Alabama State will now advance to the Round of 64 to take on Auburn on Thursday afternoon. Tipoff from Lexington, Kentucky, is set for 2:50 p.m. ET.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
