ITTA BENA, Miss. | Shakyla Hill scored 11 of her team-high 20 points in the first half as the Grambling State University women's basketball team held on for a 64-62 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) win against Mississippi Valley State on Monday night at the R.W. Harrison Complex.
 
Grambling State (9-11 overall, 6-3 SWAC) trailed 14-11 after one quarter, but dominated the second, 23-12, to take a 34-26 advantage into the third quarter. The Lady Tigers led 54-42 after three, but the Devilettes made a big comeback and cut the deficit to one with 40 seconds left, before Grambling State pulled out the win.
 
Hill nearly finished with a double-double as she led the Lady Tigers with 20 points, on 7-of-11 shooting, with nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and one blocked shot. Justice Coleman added a career-high 18 points and four boards.
 
Kristy Parker led Mississippi Valley State (1-20, 1-8) with 22 points, seven boards, three steals and a pair of assists. LaKendra Bassett tallied 15 points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists, while Kenya Arnold led the way on the galss with 11 rebounds.
 

I gladly accept the minor heart attacks that I suffer when my squad wins! My @WBB_LadyTigers pulled off another road win downing MVSU 64-62, it wasn't pretty but I'll take it. @GSU_TIGERS

— Santina Ribeiro ?? (@SANTINABRIBEIRO) January 30, 2018

Turning Point
After a slow start in the first quarter, Grambling State turned a three-point deficit into a 22-19 advantage after a Monisha Neal layup with 5:15 remaining in the second. A jumper by Desiray Mosely pulled the Devilettes to within 24-23 with 3:23 left in the first half, but Grambling State used a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to take a 34-23 lead after a Hill bucket with 1:11 remaining.
 
The Lady Tigers stretched the advantage to 42-32 after a Hill 3-pointer with 6:37 remaining in the third, but Mississippi Valley State was able to cut the margin to 45-41 after a pair of free throws by Mosely with 2:54 left.
 
Grambling State concluded the third on a 9-1 run to take a 54-42 lead into the final quarter.
 
Mississippi Valley State slowly chipped away at the Grambling State lead and cut the deficit to 660-58 after a Bassett layup with 1:28 left. However, Hill answered with a 3-pointer on Grambling State's next offensive possession to give the Lady Tigers a 63-58 advantage with 55 seconds remaining.
 
The Devilettes trimmed the margin to 63-62 after a three-point play by Bassett with 39 seconds left. However, Neal was fouled with 10 seconds remaining and she made 1-of-2 from the foul line to give Grambling State a 64-62 lead.
 
Mississippi Valley State had a chance to tie the game, but Bassett's layup with six seconds left was off target and Coleman grabbed the round as the Lady Tigers escaped with the victory.
 
Inside the Numbers
* Grambling State shot 24-of-50 (48 percent) from the field and 13-of-19 (68.4 percent) from the free-throw line.
* Mississippi Valley State was 22-of-60 (36.7 percent) shooting and 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) from the charity stripe.
* The Lady Tigers tallied 36 rebounds, with 26 coming off the defensive glass.
* The Devilettes recorded 33 rebounds, with 13 coming on the offensive end.
* Grambling State registered 28 points in the paint, 16 points off turnovers and eight bench points.
* Mississippi Valley State finished with 32 points off turnovers, 20 bench points and 18 points in the paint.
 
News and Notes
* The Lady Tigers have won three contests this season in games decided by three points or less.
* After dropping a pair of SWAC games, Grambling State has now won two consecutive games.
* Grambling State's head coach Freddie Murray remains unbeaten against Mississippi Valley State.
* The Lady Tigers have won six straight games against Mississippi Valley State dating back to the 2014-15 season.
 
Up Next
Grambling State returns to the Fredrick C. Hobdy Center for a pair of SWAC games, starting on Saturday against rival Southern. Tip-off for High School Day is set 3 p.m.
 
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