DAYTON, Ohio — Jimel Cofer scored 19 points all in the second half and overtime to help Grambling State come back from a 14-point deficit and defeat Montana State 88-81 for its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in the First Four on Tuesday night.
The Tigers, the Southwestern Athletic Conference champions with a 21-14 record, move on as the No. 16 seed in the Midwest Region to face No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday night in Indianapolis.
With 2:02 remaining in overtime, Robert Ford III made his fifth 3-pointer of the game to tie the score at 78 for the Big Sky Conference tournament champions, but Grambling secured the win by making eight consecutive free throw shots.
Montana State (17-18) made just 1 of 6 shots in the final 1:27.
Burnett and Jourdan Smith each scored 18 points for the Tigers.
Despite a weak 2-10 start to the season, Grambling State, in its first NCAA Tournament appearance, mounted a strong second-half effort, going on a 21-6 run to erase a 42-33 halftime deficit. Cofer, who did not play in the first half, scored a layup as part of a personal 6-0 run that gave the Tigers their first lead of the second half, 60-59, with 5:47 remaining in regulation.
At 34 seconds left, Cofer made a game-tying score to even the game at 72, and Montana State’s Brandon Walker missed a potential go-ahead layup with 9 seconds left, sending the game into overtime.
Montana State shot 63% in the first half and held a lead as large as 14 in its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Ford scored 26 points, including six 3s.
The First Four went to overtime for the first time since Notre Dame beat Rutgers 89-87 in double overtime in 2022.
MORE MIDWEST REGION
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Tennessee Volunteers have a history of underperforming in the NCAA Tournament under coach Rick Barnes.
The second-seeded Vols hope All-American Dalton Knecht can help change that.
In a departure from recent history, the Vols have a prominent scorer to rely on in crunch time in Knecht, a 6-foot-6 wing who is averaging 21.1 points per game and has a 40% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
“Certainly, he would be a top priority for a team preparing to play against us,” Barnes said. “… We need him to do what he does, but we also need his teammates to support him.”
Tennessee (24-9) hasn’t gone beyond the Sweet 16 in the last five tournaments, despite never being seeded lower than No. 5. They have been eliminated every year by a lower seed.
Tennessee’s first-round game on Thursday is against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion Saint Peter’s (19-13), a team that caused a major upset two years ago by reaching the Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed.
Peacocks coach Bashir Mason noted that Knecht's size makes him a challenging matchup for their smaller wings.
“That kid is always aggressive and looking to score, putting pressure on the defense,” Mason said.
The game also features a matchup of half-siblings, with Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler facing Saint Peter’s Armoni Zeigler.
POINT GUARD RIVALRY
Two of the best point guards in the country, Texas' Max Abmas and Colorado State's Isaiah Stevens, will meet in Charlotte on Thursday.
Both have been starters for five years. Abmas has scored over 3,100 points during his career, including four years at Oral Roberts. Stevens holds Colorado State's career records for points (2,340) and assists (834).
Texas coach Rodney Terry said, 'I don't think it could get any better than this. People across the country need to recognize these two guys and their impact on college basketball.'
Abmas and Stevens both grew up in Dallas and competed against each other in travel ball and high school. They have also worked out together in recent summers.
Stevens described Abmas as an exciting player and looks forward to seeing how their paths have crossed again.
Stevens is more focused on distributing, averaging 16.2 points and 7.3 assists per game for 10th-seeded Colorado State. Abmas excels in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game and attempting 242 3-pointers for No. 7 seed Texas.
Rams coach Niko Medvid called Abmas a collegiate version of Steph Curry. He noted that while they have different playing styles, both can excel in all aspects of the game.
ANOTHER SHOT
Third-seeded Creighton is seeking to settle unfinished business.
One year after narrowly missing the Final Four, the experienced Bluejays (23-9) are back in the NCAA Tournament. They will face Akron (24-10), the Mid-American Conference champion, on Thursday.
Last season, Creighton reached the Elite Eight but lost 57-56 to San Diego State, who secured the win with a free throw with 1.2 seconds remaining.
Bluejays coach Doug McDermott stated that the past experience was a painful reminder of the importance of every moment.
McDermott added, 'We all talk about it, but when you're one possession away from the Final Four and you don't make it, it really hits you. So that's been our focus this season – every possession matters.'
Creighton suffered an early setback this March, losing to Providence in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, who will face Akron's Enrique Freeman, the nation's top rebounder, remarked, 'When you have a shock like that, it reinforces that any game could be your last if you're not careful. We have an experienced group that understands the stakes at this time of year.'
Kalkbrenner added, 'So we're fully focused and aware of what we need to do to have a successful run this time.'
HE GOT GAME(COCKS)
South Carolina was expected to finish last in the SEC this season. However, second-year coach Lamont Paris and his Gamecocks enjoy proving people wrong.
With some new transfers and determined returning players, Paris has instilled a sense of belief in his team.
It's been a quick turnaround for a team that posted an 11-21 record last year. South Carolina last appeared in the field in 2017, when they reached the Final Four. The No. 6 seed Gamecocks will take on 11th-seeded Oregon on Thursday.
Paris recently received a contract extension that will keep him at the school until 2030. His players like his style because it matches his personality — calm and collected.
“He’s a great coach, and off the court he’s just a regular guy,” Meechie Johnson said. “You see him coming in with his Taco Bell bag and Starbucks coffee in the morning. He just watches film all day. Basketball is his passion and he studies it.
“I call him a master of the game. He truly understands the game and he simplifies it for you.”
NEEDING EACH OTHER
No. 12 seed McNeese State needed Will Wade, and Wade needed McNeese.
“We’re all a diverse group and quickly came together because of a common thread — we all need each other,” said Wade, who missed the first 10 games of his first season with the Cowboys because of an NCAA suspension.
Wade brought LSU back to prominence, including a Sweet 16 in 2019, before he was dismissed in 2022 after FBI and NCAA investigations related to recruiting violations.
“We’re never lacking excitement on our roller coaster,” Wade said with a laugh. “But to have this magical and special season that we’ve had, I’d say it’s all a net positive.”
McNeese had a 30-3 record, won the Southland Conference and now faces fourth-seeded Gonzaga, which has been to the Sweet 16 in eight straight NCAA Tournaments.
“Reaching this point with this group, considering everything our community has been through, our school, is absolutely the best for us,” Wade said. “I hadn’t even thought about winning a game, but it would certainly elevate the accomplishment.”
Wade has his team believing anything is possible, even against Gonzaga.
“He has faith in us and we have faith in him,” Christian Shumate said. “With that trust, we work harder for each other.”
JONESING TO RETURN
Samford guard Rylan Jones returns to Utah in a much better position than when he left. The senior, who spent four seasons at Utah and Utah State, is completely healthy and has made the most of a second opportunity in basketball.
Jones helped lead the No. 13 seed Bulldogs to their first NCAA Tournament since 2000, where they’ll face fourth-seeded Kansas on Thursday in Salt Lake City.
Jones is averaging 9.4 points, 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game while leading the Southern Conference with a 3.24 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“I’ve been around a lot of point guards. I’ve played that position. I’m demanding of that position,” Samford coach Bucky McMillan said. “Half the time, at a timeout, I pull him aside and ask him what he wants to run here. He’s just a true coach on the floor.”
Jones almost didn’t have a final season with the Bulldogs.
Injuries troubled Jones while at Utah and Utah State. He played in 17 games as a sophomore with the Utes and 13 games with the Aggies a year ago before a concussion ended his season in January and threatened his basketball career.
Jones sought a second opinion and, when he got cleared to play again, entered his name in the transfer portal and connected with McMillan.
“I knew I was playing basketball again,” Jones said. “It was not at Utah State but after being cleared by multiple neurologists and doctors, I was going to play basketball again. I’m just happy that Samford came calling.”
