Winning the close games is becoming routine for the Grambling men’s basketball team.
The Tigers upped their win streak to four Monday night with a 67-62 victory at Alcorn State. Three of those Ws have come down to the final minute. This time, it was Tra’Michael Moton making decisive impact Monday night in Lorman, Miss., at the Davey Whitney Center.
The sophomore guard dropped his fifth dime of the night with 26 seconds left, feeding classmate Zahad Munford for a layup that lifted the Tigers ahead 65-59. After the Braves answered with a 3-point bomb to make it a one-possession game, Moton drained two pressure free throws with 14 seconds left that made it all but official.
He led Grambling (9-8 overall, 7-3 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) with 14 points and those five assists. Reyhan Cobb contributed 10 points while Cameron Christon added nine points and eight rebounds.
GSU led comfortably but not convincingly through the second half after an opening 20 minutes with four ties and five lead changes. The Tigers’ biggest advantage was 10 points with 15:15 left on a Moton layup, but the Braves (2-9, 2-4) responded with an 11-4 run that drew them within 49-46 four minutes later.
It got no closer as quickly, Grambling pushed away into an eight-point advantage and kept a firm upper hand until the final minute. But in crunch time, the Tigers once again answered the bell.
Coach Donte’ Jackson’s Tigers completed the season sweep over Alcorn, winning by five both times. The G-Men stand third in the SWAC, trailing only league unbeatens Prairie View and Jackson State, both 6-0. Prairie View visits the Fred C. Hobdy Assembly Center Monday following a Saturday afternoon home doubleheader against Texas Southern.
In Monday’s opener, Lady Tigers (6-7, 5-4) dropped their second straight game on the heels of a loss Saturday at Southern. Alcorn (5-7, 5-3) swept the season series with GSU by posting another down-to-the-wire triumph.
Tied at 53 after three quarters, the Lady Braves went on an 8-1 burst and never trailed again in a game with 10 ties and four lead changes. Grambling, down by as much as eight, made a late charge but missed a game-tying layup with 18 seconds remaining. Alcorn scored seconds later for the final margin.
The Lady Tigers made just 3 of 11 shots in the decisive fourth quarter.
Alexus Holt topped Grambling with 19 points and nine rebounds. Candice Parramore scored 13 and Justice Coleman pitched in 11.
VOLLEYBALL: Riding a two-match win streak, the Lady Tigers are home Thursday afternoon at 5 against winless Jarvis Christian (0-8). Grambling notched a SWAC win in the Hobdy Center Monday evening, spiking UAPB 3-1 (25-187, 26-24, 14-25, 26-24) as sophomore Gillian Jones had 18 kills and freshman Jada Taylor made 28 digs.
Photo: courtesy TayTapes870/GSUTigers.com