Grambling's OT Win Over Montana State Excites March Madness Fans; Will Face Purdue
Mar 21, 2024
DAYTON, OHIO - MARCH 20: Jourdan Smith #11 of the Grambling State Tigers reacts against the Montana State Bobcats during the first half in the First Four game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 20, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time, Grambling State completed an epic second-half comeback to earn an 88-81 overtime win over Montana State in Wednesday's First Four matchup.
Grambling State trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half before storming back behind a spirited effort from sophomore guard Jimel Cofer, who scored a team-high 19 points off the bench. Jourdan Smith and Antwan Burnett added 18 points apiece for the Tigers.
Grambling State will face Purdue, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, in the Round of 64 on Friday night. Taking on the Zach Edey-led Boilermakers will be no easy task, but the Tigers are hoping to ride the wave of Wednesday's surprising win to another upset.
After all, it was just a year ago that Purdue became the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Those on social media were excited by their first dose of March Madness thanks to Grambling State's comeback victory:
Games like this are shining examples of the spirit of March Madness. Grambling State refused to go down quietly and overcame an early barrage from a hot-shooting Montana State squad.
This game was also indicative of the fight in the Tigers, who overcame a 2-10 start to the season to win the SWAC regular-season title with a 20-14 record and emerge victorious in the conference tournament.
Fans will be hyped to see if Grambling State's Cinderella run will continue when it meets Purdue on Friday.
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Grambling State Defeats Alcorn State 95-80 for 1st Division I Win in 45 Games
Feb 11, 2014
MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 12: A'Torri Shine #1 of the Grambling State Tigers drives to the hoop during the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at BMO Harris Bradley Center on November 12, 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
The long nightmare is over for Grambling State.
The Tigers finally snapped their 45-game losing streak against Division I opponents, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:
In even better news for Grambling State, the victory came in a Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown against Alcorn State. The game wasn’t even that close, as the Tigers controlled the pace of play throughout the contest and won 95-80.
Junior A’Torri Shine led the way with 19 points, Terry Rose added 18 points, Antwan Scott scored 16 points and eight rebounds, and Remond Brown finished with 12 points.
MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 12: Remond Brown #4 of the Grambling State Tigers drives to the hoop during the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at BMO Harris Bradley Center on November 12, 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty
The main difference in the game was the Tigers’ red-hot mark from behind the three-point line, as they went 12-of-20 from downtown as part of a 61 percent shooting clip from the field.
Grambling State was also impressive at the free-throw line, where it finished 21-of-25.
LeAntwan Luckett led Alcorn State with 20 points, but it is probably of little consolation considering his squad is the first Division I team to fall victim to the Tigers since Alabama A&M on March 3, 2012.
Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, perhaps with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, points out that it was the biggest win of the night in college basketball:
Grambling State does have one other victory on its resume for the 2013-14 season, but that came against Central Baptist, which is not in Division I.
The Tigers will look to stretch their new winning streak to two games the next time out against Texas Southern. Texas Southern is 9-13 on the season, so it’s not an impossible task.
Still, considering Grambling State just beat its first Division I team in 45 tries, it may be a bit much to ask for a second straight victory.
