‘Developed on difficulty,’ Grambling rallies for historic win

• Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterMar 20, 2024, 10:55 PM ET

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  • College football reporter.
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
  • Graduate of Northwestern University.DAYTON, Ohio– Grambling

State coach Donte ‘Jackson’s past, present and future came together Wednesday night at the Very first Four.Jackson went back to the location where he

ended up college at Central State, where he met his other half, Shelithia, and where he started his coaching profession, and not simply in basketball. After helping Grambling State to a historical win, he left the arena holding Shelithia’s hand, his team still alive in the NCAA tournament.”I really coached tennis, also,”Jackson said.”I got tennis players in the crowd, previous basketball players in the crowd. “Jackson’s previous players in his”

second home “enjoyed No. 16 seed Grambling State erase a 14-point deficit in the second half to defeat fellow No. 16 seed Montana State 88-81 in overtime. The Tigers advanced in the Midwest region and will face No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday in Indianapolis.Eleven seasons after going 0-28, Grambling State won its NCAA competition launching, ending up being the first team to open 1-0 in the event because Northwestern in 2017. Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”To get a first-round win, it’s just incredible,”Jackson said.

“That is simply significant direct exposure for our program, just letting these guys understand that they might have went to all these other big schools and things of that nature, however they selected right by coming to Grambling.”The Tigers ended up being the ninth HBCU program to win in the NCAA tournament and the 6th since 2000. They did so behind an unlikely hero in sophomore guard Jimel Cofer, who scored all of his team-high 19 points in the 2nd half in overtime, after not playing at all in the very first half, or in Grambling’s SWAC championship game win over Texas Southern. “Even when I’m not playing, I’m locked in on the game since eventually, my name’s going to be called,” Cofer said.

“I tell him,’Simply be prepared, just be all set,'” Jackson added.Jackson had Cofer change Grambling State’s leading scorer, Kintavious Dozier, who played just

six minutes after halftime, in an effort to have more size versus Montana State’s ball screens. Cofer repeatedly attacked Montana State star Robert Ford III, who had a game-high 26 points and went 6-of-8 on 3-point efforts, but played much of the stretch kept up 4 fouls.Down 42-33 at halftime, Grambling State players acknowledged some arguing in their locker room.”We’re a team that once we argue, five, 10 minutes later on, we

‘re going to get back, we’re going to high-five, we’re going to talk about changes,”said senior wing Jourdan Smith, who had 18 points and 9 rebounds.By the time Jackson went into the space, the players had actually made the essential tweaks, particularly on defense. In spite of hot shooting from Ford and junior forward Brian Goracke, the Tigers held Montana State to

only 30 second-half points, mixing in some zone to shake off the Bobcats.”They’re constructed on difficulty,”Jackson stated of his players.”I’ve got a great deal of guys that come from impoverished scenarios and things of that nature, and difficulty belongs to life.

It’s about how you bounce back when you get in a bad situation. “Grambling State has less than two days to charge before dealing with Purdue, led by 2023 nationwide player of the year Zach Edey. In 2015, Purdue ended up being only the second No. 1 seed to fall against a No. 16 seed in Fairleigh Dickinson, which likewise won a First 4 game before dealing with the Boilermakers.Purdue has actually lost to double-digit seeds in each of its previous three NCAA tournament appearances.”They don’t have the No. 1 seed for absolutely nothing,”Jackson said.”They have the best big guy in the nation, and we have actually got to come in and play.

[ I’ll watch] great deal of movie tonight. I haven’t been sleeping much anyhow.

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