The Alabama State Hornets men’s basketball team has won its first NCAA Tournament game, thanks to a Hail Mary in their First Four victory over the St. Francis Red Flash on Tuesday.
The Hornets defeated the Red Flash 70-68 at the University of Dayton’s UD Arena with a game-winning layup by guard Amarr Knoxin the closing seconds of the contest.
With the game tied up at 68 points with 3.4 seconds remaining, the Hornets’ Micah Simpson threw a full-court pass that was reminiscent of a football throw to inbound the ball. Four players from both teams went up for the ball, which ricocheted toward the basket and fell into the hands of Knox. He laid the ball up to give the Hornets the lead with less than a second remaining. Knox finished with a team-high 16 points and two steals.
The Hornets advance into the final 64-team field and play No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday.
‘These guys are amazing. Each and every day they come in and work, no matter if we are up or down. They find a way to help us win this game,’ Knox said Tuesday, before looking ahead to facing the Tigers. ‘We are going to try to get the win.’
Watch the final play here:
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