Courtesy of GSU Athletic Communications
Grambling State saw its women’s team win and men’s team fall on the final day of the regular season as the Tigers and Lady Tigers now prepare for the upcoming SWAC Tournament.
The women closed out its regular season with a commanding 69-53 victory over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. The Tigers took control in the second half, using a strong defensive effort and balanced scoring to secure the win.
With the win, the Tigers notched back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2018.
Grambling State (15-14 overall, 12-6 in SWAC) outscored Alabama State 36-20 in the second half, turning a close contest into a comfortable victory.
The Tigers held the Hornets to just 20 percent shooting in the fourth quarter while converting at a 53.3 percent clip themselves.
Kahia Warmsley led Grambling State with 16 points, knocking down two three-pointers. Sharonica Hartsfield added 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Shaniah Nunn contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
Lydia Freeman continued to dominate inside, scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds.
The Tigers dominance in the paint proved to be a key factor, outscoring Alabama State (6-24 overall, 4-14 in SWAC) 36-26 down low and outrebounding them 44-41. Grambling State also capitalized on turnovers, scoring 20 points off Alabama State’s 17 miscues.
Despite a strong effort from Alabama State’s Cordasia Harris, who led all scorers with 17 points, Grambling State’s defensive presence and depth kept the Hornets from making a late push.
Grambling State now turns its focus to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament, set to take place in Atlanta, Ga., at the Gateway Center Arena. Tournament play begins on Tuesday, March 11, with opening-round games and will conclude on Saturday, March 15, with the championship matchups.
Grambling State enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face off against No. 4 seed Jackson State on Thursday, March 13.
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The Grambling State University men’s basketball team fell to Alabama State 59-47 on Saturday afternoon in its regular season finale on Willis Reed Court at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
GSU’s James Flippin continued his hot streak, notching his fourth straight game reaching double figure scoring. The junior forward scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and with four rebounds. He was the lone Tigers to score in double digits.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well with both squads shooting just under 35 percent from the field. GSU shot 32.7 percent (16-of-49) while ASU connected on 34.9 percent of its attempts (22-of-63).
Grambling State led for nearly the entirety of the first half, eventually carrying a 24-22 lead into the locker room.
The turning point of the game came with GSU holding a 29-24 lead with 17:52 remining in the game. Alabama State used a 22-4 run over the next 10:14 to grab a 46-33 lead.
A jumper by Louis Hutchinson with 1:26 to play got the Tigers within eight points at 55-47, but that was the last bucket GSU managed.
TJ Madlock led Alabama State with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. He also had two steals and an assist.
Grambling State heads to Atlanta, Ga. for the 2025 SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament which begins on Tuesday, March 11. The Tigers enter the Tournament as the No. 8 seed and will take No. 9 seed Alabama A&M at the Gateway Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
