PINE BLUFF, Ark. | The Grambling State University men's basketball team had four players in double figures and survived a late Arkansas-Pine Bluff rally as the Tigers edged the last unbeaten team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 69-68 win on Saturday night at the H.O. Clemmons Arena.
 
Grambling State (9-12 overall, 5-3 SWAC) led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7-15, 7-1) got a 3-pointer by Joe'Randle Toliver with three seconds left to cut the Tiger lead to 69-68. Anthony Gaston was fouled and sent to the free-throw line, where he missed both shots, but grabbed his own rebound with two seconds left to give Grambling State the thrilling win.
 
The Tigers during this five-game win streak, which began on Jan. 8, have defeated Alcorn State, Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern, Jackson State and now Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
 
Ivy Smith, Jr. scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the second half to pace Grambling State. Smith also added five steals, four assists and three rebounds. Shirmane Thomas registered a double-double of 13 points, 11 rebounds, with four steals and one assist. Gaston tallied 10 points, seven boards, three assists and one steal, while Jason Perry-Murray recorded 10 points and a pair of rebounds.
 
Charles Jackson led the way for Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 14 points, three steals and two rebounds. Travon Harper tallied 10 points, seven boards and a pair of assists, while Martaveous McKnight registered nine points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
 

GSU Women & Men's Basketball Team Beat UAPB Today!!! GREAT JOB!!! #TrustTheProcess

— Paul Bryant (@paulbryant34) January 28, 2018

Turning Point
Grambling State led 38-33 at the half and opened the second half on a 9-2 run, capped by a Smith layup with 15:34 remaining. Arkansas-Pine Bluff answered and cut the margin to 49-47 after a McKnight jumper with 10:19 left.
 
The Golden Lions took a 53-51 advantage after a pair of free throws by Christian Robertson with 8:40 left, but back came the Tigers as Thomas sank a 3-pointer with 7:49 remaining to give GSU a 57-54 lead.
 
Grambling State extended the margin to 64-59 after a Thomas trey with 4:39 left, but again Arkansas-Pine Bluff was able to chip away at the deficit and cut the GSU advantage to 66-65 with 2:34 left.
 
Smith sank a pair at the charity stripe with 1:17 left to give Grambling State a 68-65 advantage and a free throw by Thomas with five seconds left gave the Tigers a 69-65 lead. However, Toliver sank a 3-pointer with three seconds left, but could not get any closer as Grambling State secured its fifth straight win.
 
Inside The Numbers
· Grambling State shot 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the floor and 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the free-throw line.
· Arkansas-Pine Bluff was 25-of-53 (47.2 percent) shooting and 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) from the charity stripe.
· The Tigers finished with 42 rebounds, with 32 coming on the defensive end.
· The Golden Lions registered 32 rebounds, including 29 of those coming off the defensive glass.
· Grambling State scored 34 points in the paint, 17 points off turnovers, 10 bench points and eight second-chance points.
· Arkansas-Pine Bluff recorded 32 points in the paint, 30 bench points and 21 points off turnovers.
 
News & Notes
· The five-game Grambling State win streak is the longest in more than nine years. The Tigers won four straight games during the 2010-11 season.
· Grambling State has won three straight in the series since its last loss to UAPB coming on Feb. 27, 2016.
· Grambling State returns to the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center for two straight SWAC games as the Tigers begin the second half of the SWAC schedule on Saturday, Feb. 5 against Southern (High School Day).
 
Up Next
Grambling State concludes its three-game SWAC road swing on Monday in Itta Bena, Miss. against Mississippi Valley State. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. from the Harrison Complex.
 
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