Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Had Thrilling Wins For Grambling And Hampton As Over 13,800 Fans Watched

By Kyle T. Mosley

The 2024 Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic had four of the top HBCU men’s basketball teams in Newark, New Jersey to square off in front of 13,834 fans. Saturday’s event at the Prudential Center, was the third installment for actor, director, and philanthropist Michael B. Jordan.

GRAMBLING DOWNS JACKSON STATE

The first match of the showcase pitted the Grambling State Tigers (6-2 SWAC) against the Jackson State Tigers (4-4). It was an intense battle going into halftime, tied at 29 apiece before Grambling State eventually won 70-62.

Grambling pulled away off a strong game-high-scoring performance from the game’s MVP, Tra’Michael Moton, with 19 points. Jonathan Aku grabbed eight rebounds, and Mik Stevenson notched three assists in the winning effort.

Jackson State’s Ken Evans led the Tigers with 15 points and five assists, while Treyo Johnson cleared nine rebounds off the glass. The game’s story was how Grambling’s second-half scoring at 58.3% outpaced Jackson State’s 38.7%. The G-Men dominated the paint, 34 points to 22 points for JSU, and its bench scored 23 points to 11.

HAMPTON RALLIES TO DEFEAT HOWARD

Howard University and Hampton University have always been and will always be an intense rivalry for who is the real “H.U.” In a thrilling contest, the Pirates rallied to edge out a 63-61 victory over the Bison. At one point, Hampton University trailed by 12 points.

Howard took a 34-27 lead at halftime with forward Dom Campbell’s 14 first-half points.

The Pirates were behind for most of the game, but they managed to take the lead with 24 seconds left on the clock after Jerry Deng scored a three-point dagger from the corner making the score 60-58. Deng was the game’s MVP and high-scorer with 21 points and hitting 4-6 treys on the afternoon. Twelve seconds remained as Jordan Nesbitt split a pair of free throws, giving Hampton a 61-58 advantage. After a Bison foul, Nesbitt would bury two more from the charity stripe with 0:01 sec left to go up 63-58. Howard sank a final three-pointer as time expired. The game was for the Hampton Pirates, 63-61, to claim bragging rights for the “Real H.U.” mythical title in men’s basketball for 2024.

The third annual Invesco QQQ HBCU Legacy Classic is in the books, and it is safe to say that it was a success.

Grambling State maintained its tie for first place in the SWAC with Southern following a 70-62 win over Jackson State. Meanwhile, Hampton snapped a 14-game losing streak after beating Howard 63-61.

Here are three takeaways from the 2024 event in New Jersey.

1. Taking advantage of the opportunity

In a rare opportunity to perform in front of a nationally televised audience, all four teams put on a showing worthy of the occasion.

Both games showcased maximum effort and emotion, keeping the fans invested in the action on the court.

The contest between Grambling State and Jackson State was close throughout, with Grambling only leading by double-digits in the final seconds of the game.

On the other hand, Hampton showed a true warrior spirit fighting back from being down as many as 12 points to beat Howard.

2. Great attendance

For the second year in a row, the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic drew a big crowd, with attendance reported at 13,834 in the building.

These numbers are a nearly 400-person improvement over the attendance figures from last year’s event.

Although many HBCU students and student-athletes have come from the New York/New Jersey area, it is no small feat that schools can draw a respectable crowd in a state with no HBCUs.

3. TNT invests in HBCU exposure

Actor Michael B. Jordan and Turner Broadcasting have been great partners in providing HBCUs a platform to not only showcase their talent but to educate viewers on the institutions.

The game broadcast included tidbits on the history of the rivalries in the respective matchups, highlighting famous alumni from each school and speaking with athletic directors and the MVP of each game.

In addition to the game, a community such as Newark, with a majority Black population, benefits from events throughout the week that generate revenue for the city.

The HBCU hoops classic has a formula that works.