by Michael West
When the Grambling State Tigers walked off Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse basketball floor, losing to Purdue University could not erase history in the making. That’s because Grambling State and Howard University both qualified for the NCAA Tournament First Four, marking the first time two HBCU universities entered the field as part of the 68-team tournament.
The appearance in the tournament was the second time for both universities. HBCU schools have participated in the NCAA Men’s Tournament a total of 30 times. Texas Southern has led the charge, with six total appearances since the First Four began in 1985. Over that time span, only four teams have advanced in the tournament, including none other than this year’s Grambling State Tigers.
Howard didn’t go down without a fight, however. The Bison took the Wagner Seahawks the full distance, losing a close game by the score of 71-68. The game went down to the last play as Marcus Dockery missed a 23-foot three-point jumper at the buzzer.
Wagner held a 38-27 first half lead. Bryce Harris and Issiah Warfield led the Bison on an incredible spurt to close the gap to 69-68 with 18 seconds remaining. Wagner hit two free throws, and two efforts to hit a three-point shot to tie the game fell short.
The following evening, Grambling State took the Montana State Bobcats into overtime in a thrilling 88-81 back and forth affair. Once again, the HBCU underdogs had to come from behind to make a game of it. The Bobcats surged to a 42-33 first half lead. But the Tigers were determined.
Grambling State narrowed their nine-point deficit to three with 10:29 left. Jimmy Cofer tied the game at 72 with 37 seconds remaining, but both teams missed shots to push the game to overtime. Grambling State opened Overtime with a five-foot Tra-Michael Moton shot and the Tigers never looked back. They sealed the deal by hitting free throws over a two-minute stretch.
The Tigers succumbed to Big 10 Powerhouse Purdue by a score of 78-50. HBCU schools will always face an insurmountable challenge in the NCAA Tournament. Southern is the only team to win a first-round game, a stunning 93-78 upset over fourth seeded Georgia Tech. But the history books will note a great accomplishment nonetheless. Two Black colleges went dancing in March!
