Ansley Almonor scored 23 points and Fairleigh Dickinson beat Texas Southern 84-61 on Wednesday night for their first NCAA Tournament win in four seasons.
The Knights led 14-2 after going 12-0 in the first 3:29 and never relinquished the lead. Grant Singleton scored seven points during a 19-6 run, when the Knights led by as many as 18 points late in the first half.
Jordan Gilliam made a jumper that pulled Texas Southern within 10 points with 10:01 remaining in the second half. The Tigers shot 42% and went 1 for 17 from 3-point range.
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Ansley Almonor of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights celebrates after his basket against the South Texas Tigers during the second half in a first four game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on March 15, 2023, in Dayton, Ohio. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Fairleigh Dickinson shot 50% and advanced to the Eastern Region to play Friday against top-seeded Purdue in Columbus, Ohio.
Joe Munden Jr. scored 17 points, Demetre Roberts had 15, Singleton finished with 13 and Sean Moore added 10 for Fairleigh Dickinson (20-15).
John Walker III led Texas Southern (14-21) with 22 points. Joirdon Karl Nicholas added 10.
Ansley Almonor (5) of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights celebrates with Grant Singleton (4) against the South Texas Tigers during the second half of a first four game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at University Arena of Dayton on March 15, 2023, in Dayton, Ohio. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
BIG PICTURE
Fairleigh Dickinson: First-year coach Tobin Anderson turned around a Knights team that went 4-22 a season ago.
Texas Southern: The Tigers missed their first 13 3-pointers before making their first with 4:52 remaining. His 28.4% clip this season from 3-point distance ranked as the worst in the Southwest Athletic Conference, and Texas Southern failed to win its third straight First Four appearance.
Head coach Tobin Anderson and Demetre Roberts (2) of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights during the second half against the Texas Southern Tigers in a game one of four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on March 15 2023, in Dayton, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Fairleigh Dickinson will play Purdue on Friday.