Grambling State gets first ever March Madness win: Meet Purdue's first round opponent
How about not only making your first NCAA Tournament, but getting the team's first March Madness win?
The Grambling State Tigers used a second half rally to force overtime and defeat Montana State in the First Four, 88-81, in its first ever NCAA Tournament game and secure a date with No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday.
The win continued what has been a dream season for Donte Jackson's squad, getting through a tough start of the regular season to its best year in school history. The team was led by Jimel Cofer, who came off the bench and scored a season-high 19 points to lead Grambling State to the historic victory.
"I just know my team has my back. Anybody on this team can get hot, and today was just my night," Cofer said after the win.
How Grambling State beat Montana State in First Four
Montana State looked to be running away with the game when it used a late first half run and used that momentum to start the second half for a 14-point lead, but then came the Grambling State rally; the Tigers then went on an 11-0 run to cut the deficit, and then used another 11-0 run to take the lead with under six minutes left. In a 10 minute span, Grambling went on a 26-8 run to lead 65-61 with just under four minutes left. After that, each side traded baskets constantly and it was tied at 72-all in the final minute. Each team had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but neither side could convert.
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In the extra period, Grambling was able to make clutch shots and make all 10 free throw attempts while Montana State wasn't able to sustain its great 3-point shooting, as Grambling State held on to win.
The second half surge was led by several turnovers Grambling State forced while dominating close to the basket; the Tigers scored 23 points off turnovers, and outscored Montana State 52-30 in the paint.
Who will Grambling State face next in March Madness?
Awaiting the Tigers is Purdue, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region. The two teams will face off Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 7:25 p.m. ET. Grambling State shouldn't feel like it will be impossible to beat the Boilermakers, since Fairleigh Dickinson was able to win a First Four game and beat Purdue in the first round last season to be the second No. 16 seed to take down a No. 1 seed.
"We got to get to the room, pack up, figure it out, start off film, and just worry about how we can throw the whole house, the kitchen, whatever, the backyard, at Zach Edey. We just got to figure it out," Jackson said.
The winner of Purdue vs. Grambling State will face the winner of Utah State and TCU in the second round on Sunday.
What to know about Grambling State Tigers
The historic season for Grambling State continues after it achieved its first NCAA Tournament appearance this season after it won the SWAC tournament. After a grueling non-conference schedule that resulted in a 2-10 start to the season, the Tigers finished the regular season 15-4 before winning three games in the conference tournament to secure the auto bid to March Madness.