March Madness usually starts with a bang, but what happened between St Francis PA vs Alabama State at the UD Arena in Dayton was basically a heart attack in sneakers. You've seen close games before, sure. But this was different. This was two programs fighting for oxygen after decades of being left out of the party.
Honestly, if you weren't watching truTV that Tuesday night, you missed the kind of "Hail Mary" finish that usually only happens in football movies. Alabama State didn't just win; they snatched a 70-68 victory out of the air when everything looked like it was heading for a messy overtime.
It was the first NCAA Tournament win in Alabama State history. Let that sink in.
The Game That Refused to Be Normal
Most people expected a grind. What they got was a weird, high-stakes shootout. Saint Francis (PA) came out looking like they couldn't miss from the parking lot. They were hitting triples left and right, finishing the half with a five-point lead and a ton of momentum.
Juan Cranford Jr. was absolutely cooking. He ended up with 18 points and eight rebounds, including some back-breaking threes that kept the Red Flash ahead for almost the entire game. Seriously, Saint Francis led from the middle of the first half until the very final minutes.
The Stats That Don't Make Sense
Check this out because it’s kinda wild:
💡 You might also like: LeBron James Black Mask: What Most People Get Wrong About the 2014 NBA "Ban"
- Saint Francis shot 50% from the floor and 45.5% from deep.
- Alabama State shot a miserable 25% from the free-throw line (1-for-4).
- The Hornets forced 15 turnovers while only giving it up 6 times.
Usually, if you shoot that well from three and the other team can't hit a free throw, you win by double digits. But Alabama State stayed alive by being absolute pests on defense. Amarr Knox was everywhere. He finished with 16 points, but his biggest contribution was just being in the right place when the world went sideways.
That Final "Hail Mary" Play
The ending was pure chaos. With about 12 seconds left, the Hornets actually missed a free throw. Saint Francis had the ball, score tied at 68, and a chance to win it. But they coughed it up.
Alabama State got the ball back with only 3.5 seconds on the clock under their own basket. Coach Tony Madlock called for a baseball pass. Micah Simpson launched a prayer nearly the full length of the court.
It wasn't a clean catch. Not even close. The ball hit a crowd of players in the lane, bounced off a few hands, and basically sat down in Amarr Knox’s lap right under the rim. He put it up, the buzzer went off, and the Hornets made history.
💡 You might also like: Andy Lee American Football: Why We Need to Respect the Punter
The Emotional Fallout
Watching the Red Flash players on the floor was brutal. They hadn't been to the tournament since 1991. They played nearly a perfect game and lost because of a lucky bounce.
On the other side, you had Tony Madlock screaming "First tournament win in Alabama State history, baby!" in the locker room. It’s those polar opposites—the "agony of defeat" stuff—that makes the St Francis PA vs Alabama State matchup one for the archives.
Lessons from the Dayton Drama
If you’re a bettor or a hardcore analyst, there’s a lot to dig into here. Saint Francis proved that efficiency matters, but volume can kill you. They took 48 shots. Alabama State took 70. When you give a team 22 more chances to score because you're turning the ball over, you're playing with fire.
The Hornets also showed why the SWAC is becoming a "don't overlook us" conference in the First Four. They were more athletic, more aggressive, and they didn't panic when the shots weren't falling early.
What you should do next:
💡 You might also like: Green Bay Packers Quarterback: Why Jordan Love Still Owns the Frozen Tundra
- Watch the tape: Go find the final 2:51 of this game on YouTube. The sequence of Chris Moncrief’s tying three-pointer followed by the Knox layup is a masterclass in late-game execution (and luck).
- Track the recruits: Keep an eye on Juan Cranford Jr. and Amarr Knox. In the current transfer portal era, mid-major stars who show out on the big stage usually end up with high-major offers by the summer.
- Re-evaluate the First Four: Don't skip the Tuesday/Wednesday games next year. These teams are playing for their lives, and the basketball is often more intense than the Final Four itself.
The St Francis PA vs Alabama State game wasn't just a "play-in" game. It was a reminder that in March, your season—and your school's history—can change based on which way a ball bounces off a freshman's shoulder.