The 2025 NCAA Tournament kicked off in earnest Tuesday in epic fashion as Alabama State stunned Saint Francis in the first game of the First Four with a last-second shot to take down the Panthers, 70-68. The Hornets ran an inbounds play with 3.4 seconds remaining and scored on the other end off a Hail Mary pass that was deflected right into the hands of Amarr Knox for the go-ahead jumper.
Alabama State’s full-court pass bounced right into traffic with two defenders positioned to bat down the ball from two Alabama State players. But Knox was right there to collect the clean-up under the basket and calmly delivered the dagger as the clock bled down to under a second.
Knox finished the game with a team-high 16 points and had 10 of them in the second half as the Hornets dug out of a nine-point deficit for the win.
Alabama State, a No. 16 seed, advances from the First Four to the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with the win and will face No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky. The game will tip at approximately 2:50 p.m. ET on CBS.
