Southern University and Alabama State were tied at 64 with under six seconds left, and chaos followed. Southern inbounded the ball and tried to set up a game-winner. The first shooter got cleanly blocked, a brutal rejection right at the arc. The Alabama State defender who made the block immediately started celebrating. But the ball bounced straight to a Southern teammate, who launched a shot as time expired. It hit several parts of the rim, bounced awkwardly, and finally dropped through. Game over.
The blocked shot meant nothing. The player who had made it tried to wave off the shot as if it shouldn’t count, clearly frustrated that his defensive play was wasted. Meanwhile, the Southern bench exploded. Towels flew, the team mobbed each other, and coaches ran to midcourt yelling in celebration.
One of the best reactions came from the stands. A super fan in the top corner lost his mind, while a nearby security guard tried to hold him back from storming the floor. The guard stuck out his left arm to keep control but pumped his right fist along with the fan. Same man, two jobs.