2025 NCAA Tournament: Alabama State hits wild game-winner after chaotic sequence vs. Saint Francis
March Madness lived up to its name, getting off to a crazy start Tuesday with the First Four matchup between Alabama State and Saint Francis. With the game tied at 68 and 3.4 seconds remaining, the Hornets heaved a desperation full-court inbounds pass.
Somehow, the ball was deflected and landed right in the hands of Amarr Knox. He immediately went up for the layup, putting Alabama State up with one second left as it went on to win 70-68. You can view the moment below.
That capped off what was a wild finish as it stayed a four-point game or less for the final four minutes. After TJ Madlock hit a layup to give Alabama State a 68-65 lead, Chris Moncrief responded with a 3-pointer on the other end to tie things up with 40 seconds remaining.
Ironically, it was Knox who missed the potential go-ahead bucket for the Hornets on the ensuing possession. But after Alabama State forced a turnover on defense, he got a chance to redeem himself and delivered.
Alabama State found itself trailing 39-34 at halftime and trailed by as many as eight points to start the second half. But it kept chipping away at the lead and finally took one of its own with 4:24 remaining after a 3-pointer from CJ Hines.
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Knox finished with a team-high 16 points in the victory. The Hornets now move on to the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament, where they’ll look to keep their magic going against No. 1 overall seed Auburn.
This is the fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Alabama State, but the first time the Hornets have achieved victory. No. 16 seeds are just 2-154 all-time against No. 1 seeds, but both of those wins have come since 2018.
Fairleigh Dicksinon is the most recent No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 when it beat Purdue in the 2023 tournament. Alabama State will look to add its name to that small list, and certainly has a lot of momentum entering the game given Tuesday’s results. Tip off for its game against Auburn is set for 2:50 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Next up following the first game in Dayton is a matchup between North Carolina and San Diego State on Tuesday night. Fans can only hope that one will be just as exciting as the first.