In a battle of the two teams atop the SWAC, Grambling’s defense came to life in the second half, holding Southern to just 20 points and 29% in the game’s final 20 minutes to overcome a 14-point halftime deficit and claim a 63-57 victory.
Southern scored first and led for the entirety of the first half, building as much as a 17-point advantage and would take a 37-23 lead into the second half. The Jaguars had their way offensively, shooting 51.9% from the floor, but they were particularly locked in from three-point range, connecting on 8 of their 12 attempts.
Grambling opened the second half with a 10-4 spurt over the first 4:43, trimming the lead to 41-37. Terrence Lewis’ three-pointer drew the Tigers to within three at 43-40 with 13:38 left in the half. Grambling took their first lead of the evening on a Tra’Micheal Moton three-pointer that made the score 45-44.
Gave Southern “The Blues”…all of ’em#GramFam | #ThisIsTheG🐯 pic.twitter.com/KzFqbbDpIG
— Grambling State Men’s Basketball (@gsutigers_mbb) February 25, 2024
A Jaronn Wilkens free throw pulled Southern even at 45 apiece before four consecutive points put Grambling back in front 49-45. Southern would tie the game at 49 on back-to-back buckets from Wilkens and then reclaimed the lead at 52-51 on a Derrick Tezeno slam at the 6:25 mark.
The game was tied at 55 on a Tidjiane Dioumassi layup with 2:15 remaining. However, Southern went 0-5 from the floor and committed two turnovers. The Jaguar turned the ball over eight times in the second half, helping Grambling close out the game on an 8-2 way to a 63-57 win.
Terence Lewis led Grambling with 16 points on 7-8 from the floor and 2-3 from downtown while also grabbing three rebounds. Tra’Michael Moton was the other Grambling player in double figures with 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
In a losing effort, Brandon Davis paced Southern with 12 points. Tidjiane Dioumassi was the only other Southern player in double figures with 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
