In a dramatic finish that will be remembered in Alabama State history, Amarr Knox’s layup with one second remaining lifted the Hornets to a 70-68 victory over Saint Francis (PA) in a First Four matchup of No. 16 seeds at the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday night. The win marks Alabama State’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory and sets up a daunting matchup against No. 1 overall seed Auburn in the South Region on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.
With the game tied and just seconds remaining, Alabama State forced a turnover to regain possession. Micah Simpson took the ball out of bounds under his own basket and heaved a full-court pass—reminiscent of a football Hail Mary—toward a chaotic cluster of players near the opposite rim. The ball deflected off a teammate and landed perfectly in Knox’s hands, allowing him to convert an uncontested layup that put the Hornets ahead for good.
Officials placed one second on the clock after the basket, but Saint Francis’ desperation shot at the buzzer fell short, sealing the historic win for Alabama State (20-15).
Saint Francis (16-18) controlled much of the first half, shooting an impressive 59% from the field and knocking down 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Their offensive efficiency helped them build a 39-34 lead at halftime.
Juan Cranford Jr., playing in his hometown, led the Red Flash with 18 points, while Valentino Pinedo added 17. However, Saint Francis struggled with turnovers, committing 15 giveaways that led to 26 points for Alabama State—ultimately proving costly in the tightly contested matchup.
Alabama State looked to have the game in control when Micah Octave’s steal and dunk put the Hornets ahead by four with 1:36 remaining. But Saint Francis refused to go away, as Chris Moncrief drained a clutch three-pointer with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 68.
Knox had a chance to put Alabama State ahead in the final seconds but missed a contested shot. TJ Madlock fought for the rebound and was fouled but failed to convert the front end of a 1-and-1. Saint Francis then turned the ball over, setting the stage for the Hornets’ improbable game-winning play.
One of the more bizarre stats of the night was Alabama State’s lack of trips to the free-throw line. The Hornets did not attempt a single free throw until just over five minutes remained in the game, finishing 1-of-4 from the line.
Meanwhile, Saint Francis had an unusual start as well, as officials forced several players to remove black undershirts during pregame introductions due to NCAA rules requiring undershirts to match the team’s uniform color.
With the victory, Alabama State moves on to face top-seeded Auburn in the South Region’s opening round. The Tigers, led by head coach Bruce Pearl, are one of the tournament favorites and will pose a significant challenge for the Hornets.
However, Alabama State has already made history—and with the madness of March in full swing, they’ll look to shock the college basketball world once more.
