The Grambling State Tigers are still dancing.
This year’s SWAC men’s basketball champions took down Montana State 88-81 in the NCAA First Four. It marked the first NCAA Tournament win in program history and gives them a trip to face No. 1-seeded Purdue in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament.
Grambling State won the thriller over Montana State by overcoming a 14-point deficit in the second half. The Tigers’ leading scorer was sophomore Jimel Cofer, who came off the bench and scored a career-high 19 points. The SWAC champions found themselves victorious despite All-SWAC First Team guard Kintavious Dozier only scoring 6 points in 19 minutes and sitting out mostly down the stretch late in the fourth quarter and overtime because of Cofer’s hot hand.
Not only was the game the first NCAA Tournament win in program history, it was the Tigers’ first game in the NCAA Tournament, period.
“What this means for our program? It’d be an understatement,” Grambling State coach Donte’ Jackson said in the postgame press conference. “To play in the NCAA Tournament and get a first-round win? Man, it’s just amazing. I just think it’s major exposure for our program and it lets these guys know, who could’ve gone to all of these other big schools that they chose right by coming to Grambling.”
