Box Score GRAMBLING -- With a lot of intensity on the floor of the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center, the Grambling State University Tigers fought Prairie View A&M University's Panthers to come back from a halftime deficit to win the game, 66-63. It was the first win over PVAMU since 2005.

Four GSU players scored double digits, with Deonte Hearns leading the team with 21 points. But at the half, head basketball coach Shawn Walker was disappointed and expected more from his team in the second half.

"I was really disappointed, angry, with my team at halftime," he said after the game. "Prairie View is a difficult team to play against. Our team has been down every game. I really don't concern myself with how far we're down. I challenged them all the way through the game." 

As the game began both teams went head to head, but the Panthers had the lead over the Tigers at halftime. Forwards Deonte Hearns had eight points and five rebounds and Mark Gray had six points and three rebounds. Tevin Bellinger of Prairie View put up 11 points and Zachary Hamilton had eight. Both teams were only shooting 46.2% of field goals.
 
It seemed the second half of the game belonged to the Panthers as they slowly began to create a lead over the Tigers, at one point by as much as 11 points. But the Tigers weren't ready to accept defeat in their own house. With 6:40 on the cloc,k a three-point shot by guard Ervin Mitchell had the Tigers only down by one point.
 
At 5:06 the score was tied at 55, and it remained that way for nearly two minutes. Things got really heated with 17.9 seconds remaining as the Tigers were down by one. Hearns made a key shot to give the Tigers a 64-63 lead with 8.3 seconds remaining, exciting the fans at the first home game since the GSU semester began. Two free throw shots by guard Nigel Ribeiro put the Tigers (6-11, 3-2 SWAC) up 66-63 advantage, ending the game.
 
In addition to Hearns scoring in double digits, Ribeiro had 14, and Gray and Mitchell each scored 11. Bellinger finished the game with 23 points.
 
Walker attributed the win to a lot of hard work, and big plays by Hearns.
 
Both Tiger teams play Texas Southern University at home at 7:30 p.m. Monday (January 18).