Bethune-Cookman capped a remarkable comeback from a 14-point first-half deficit to defeat Grambling State 76–71 Thursday night to clinch its first SWAC regular-season title since joining the league.
The Wildcats’ win, coupled with Southern’s loss to Florida A&M, also marked their second overall conference title since moving to the Division I level.
The Wildcats (16–13, 13–3 SWAC), the preseason favorite to take the regular season championship, struggled early, managing just four points in the opening seven minutes as the Tigers (12–16, 6–9) turned a slow start into a 17–4 surge midway through the first half.
An alley-oop dunk by Derrius Ward gave Grambling its largest lead at 14 points before Bethune-Cookman began to rally.
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Over the final 10 minutes of the half, B-CU outscored the Tigers 22–11 to trim the deficit to three at intermission. Despite shooting only 28.6 percent from the field and committing 15 turnovers in the period, the Wildcats stayed within striking distance by matching Grambling on the glass and forcing several late stops.
Jakobi Heady led the charge with 11 first-half points, while Roderick Coffee III paced Grambling with 14.
Bethune-Cookman carried that momentum into the second half, scoring the first four points to claim its first lead since the opening minutes.
The teams traded baskets until midway through the half, when the Wildcats seized control with an 11–0 run to move ahead 66–57 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Grambling made one final push, cutting the margin to three with just over a minute left, but a clutch layup by Quentin Heady with eight seconds remaining sealed the victory for the Wildcats.
Neither team found much success from long range or the foul line in the second half, but Bethune-Cookman’s efficiency inside made the difference. The Wildcats shot 51.4 percent after halftime and won the rebounding battle 24–17, outpacing the Tigers, who finished at 40 percent from the field.
