Saint Francis draws Alabama State in First Four game of NCAA Tournament

The Saint Francis men’s basketball team won’t have to wait long to play its first NCAA Tournament game since 1991.

The Red Flash will play Alabama State in a First Four game at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The game will be televised on truTV.

No. 1 overall seed Auburn (28-5) awaits the winner, which will be the No. 16 seed, in the first round Thursday in Lexington, Ky.

Saint Francis (16-17), located in Loretto, defeated Central Connecticut State in the Northeast Conference championship game last Tuesday to earn the NEC’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Saint Francis is the 20th team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament with a losing record since the field expanded in 1985.

A packed gym of students and fans, along with the school’s pep band, surrounded the Red Flash players as they were shown on the CBS Selection Show on Sunday evening.

Penn Hills grad Daemar Kelly, a sophomore guard, and junior guard Chris Moncrief, a Turtle Creek native who attended the Kiski School, are Western Pennsylvania natives who play for the Red Flash.

Alabama State (19-15) is in the NCAA Tournament for first time in 14 years after beating Jackson State to win the SWAC Tournament title. This is the Hornets’ fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.

The top seeds in the South Region are Auburn, No. 2 Michigan State (27-6), No. 3 Iowa State (24-9) and No. 4 Texas A&M (22-10).

The Lexington quadrant also includes No. 8 Louisville (27-7) vs. No. 9 Creighton (24-10). The winners of the first-round games will play Saturday in the Round of 32.