The first game of the March Madness NCAA First Four matchup on Tuesday night was a thriller. The Alabama State Hornets secured a 70-68 win against St. Francis. It happened on a "Hail Mary" full-court pass that led to a last-second shot at the buzzer.
You might have already heard about the win if you're a big NCAA March Madness fan. But you may not know that one of Alabama State's players is a Savannahian. D'Ante
Bass, a Windsor Forest High School alum (Class of 22), played a key role in the win, contributing eight points, seven rebounds, and one steal in 18 minutes on the court.
With this victory, the Hornets (20-15) will face No. 1 seed Auburn (28-5) in the South Region today at 2:50 p.m. The game will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks.
Bass started his high school basketball journey at Bethesda Academy before transferring to Windsor Forest, where he played from his sophomore to senior years. During his time there, he helped lead the Knights to deep playoff runs, reaching the Elite 8, then the Final Four, and eventually the state championship game.
In the championship game, he tallied a double-double with 22 points and 10 boards in a 60-53 loss to state champion Cross Creek. Bass averaged 13.3 points per game in his senior year and 7.0 rebounds per game, named the GHSA Class 3A-Region 3 Player of the Year in 2022. He was also a standout in track and field. Bass won the GHSA Class 3A state championship in the high jump by jumping 6 feet, 6 inches.
His college journey began with a commitment to Georgetown in 2021. He enrolled at Georgetown in 2022 but later entered the transfer portal in 2023. In May of that year, he officially joined Alabama State.
With Alabama State's tournament win, Bass and his team want to keep their March Madness run alive against Auburn today.
Photo Credit: Alabama State Athletic Depatment and DWASHAWN the Photographer
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