Knox's Last-second Layup Lifts Alabama State Over Saint Francis 70-68 In First Four

Amarr Knox's layup with a second left lifted Alabama State to its first NCAA Tournament win Tuesday night, 70-68 over Saint Francis PA in a matchup of No. 16 seeds at the First Four.

Knox scored 16 points to help the Hornets 20-15 earn a date with No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday in a South Region game at Lexington, Kentucky.

"You just said it: March Madness," said Alabama State coach Tony Madlock. "I think I've talked about this with all of the media, that all of our games end just like this, either we have to get a bucket or we have to get a stop. Fortunately enough we were able to get a bucket to finish this game off."

After forcing a turnover in the final seconds, Alabama State had the ball out of bounds under its own basket. With the score tied, Micah Simpson threw a long pass nearly the length of the court toward a scrum of players in the lane at the other end - not unlike a Hail Mary in football.

The ball deflected off a teammate and right into Knox's hands near the rim, giving him a simple layup for the winning points.