After pulling off an improbable overtime victory against Montana State in their inaugural March Madnesss of the NCAA Tournament outing Wednesday night, the No. 16 seeded Grambling State University men’s basketball team sets its sights on No. 1 seed Purdue.
Fans of the Tigers (21-14) can watch the SWAC Tournament champions against the Boilermakers (29-4) in the Midwest Regional Round of 64 at 6:25 p.m. Friday in Indianapolis at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on TBS. Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan VanGundy and Andy Katz are scheduled to make the call.
The arena is located approximately 60 miles from Purdue’s home court.
Grambling advanced after exploding back from a 14-point second-half deficit to oust Montana State (17-18) 88-81 behind a career high 19 points, all in the second half, from Jimel Cofer, a sophomore who didn’t play in the first half. GSU also managed 18 points each from Jourdan Smith and Antwan Burnett.
OPENER: Grambling basketball’s March Madness opponent is Montana State to open NCAA First Four bracket
PREVIOUS GAME: Grambling basketball’s March Madness opponent is Montana State to open NCAA First Four bracket
The comeback was the third largest of the season for the Tigers, who removed 17-point deficits in two wins over Southern.
Grambling’s task on Friday is daunting as Purdue ranks second nationally in 3-point shooting and rebounding. The Boilermakers are nearly 27-point favorites.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: TV, tipoff time set for Grambling’s NCAA Tournament contest vs. Purdue
