Most college basketball fans were fast asleep when Grambling State took the court Monday morning.

But at 3 a.m., the Tigers were wide awake — and putting on a show.

Grambling State opened its 2026-27 season with an entertaining 89-87 victory over Northern Illinois, surviving a furious second-half comeback, a frantic final 30 seconds and a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

It wasn’t exactly your typical season opener, but the Tigers made sure the early-morning crowd had plenty of reasons to stay up.

The showdown at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in South Carolina was part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, a basketball bonanza featuring games throughout the day to celebrate the return of college hoops.

And Grambling certainly delivered its share of opening-day excitement.

Tigers survive a late scare

Grambling State appeared to have things under control, taking a 43-36 lead into halftime before building a 12-point advantage in the second half.

But Northern Illinois had other ideas.

The Huskies caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down 14 three-pointers and scoring 51 points after halftime to turn a comfortable Grambling lead into a nail-biter.

With just over three minutes remaining, Max Weisbrod connected from deep to pull Northern Illinois within one, 78-77.

That’s when Dwayne Pierce stepped up, answering with a basket and a free throw to give the Tigers some breathing room. Pierce added a dunk with 1:41 remaining before Mekhi Fitts delivered a layup with 40 seconds left to push Grambling ahead 87-82.

Still, the Huskies refused to go away.

Bennett Basich converted a three-point play with 33 seconds remaining to make it 87-85. Northern Illinois then missed an opportunity to tie the game with nine seconds left, setting up a dramatic finish.

Chancellor Perkins split two free throws with four seconds remaining, giving Grambling an 89-87 advantage.

Northern Illinois had one last shot, but Weisbrod’s 27-foot three-point attempt at the buzzer missed the mark.

Game over. Tigers win!

Isaiah Miranda leads the way

While the finish provided plenty of drama, Isaiah Miranda delivered the kind of performance Grambling fans will be talking about.

The big man dominated with 29 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, shooting an impressive 10-for-12 from the floor. He also showed off his perimeter game, knocking down four of his five three-point attempts.

Miranda! CLUTCH! He’s got 29!#GramFam | #ThisIsTheG🐯 pic.twitter.com/lzfgPukc8c

— Grambling State Men’s Basketball (@gsutigers_mbb) November 2, 2026

Dwayne Pierce added 19 points and eight assists, while Isaiah Howard contributed 13 points.

Returning Tiger Mekhi Fitts chipped in 12 points without missing a field-goal attempt, and Antoine Shannon finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

As a team, Grambling shot a scorching 64 percent from the field and controlled the paint, outscoring Northern Illinois 48-28 inside.

An early-morning statement

Starting a basketball season at 3 a.m. is certainly one way to get people’s attention. Finishing the job in a two-point thriller makes it even sweeter.

Grambling showed plenty of offensive firepower, got a monster performance from Miranda and found a way to withstand Northern Illinois’ late-game push.

While the rest of the basketball world was waking up, Grambling State had already taken care of business.

The Tigers are 1-0 — and they didn’t need daylight to get the job done.