DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | The Grambling State University men's basketball team made easy work of Bethune-Cookman earning a 79-69 win over the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon at Moore Gymnasium. 
 
The Tigers used a mix of efficient offense and suffocating defense to silence BCU. Grambling state (5-11 overall, 2-1 SWAC) limited Bethune-Cookman (6-9, 1-1 SWAC) to 38.3 percent shooting (23-of-60) and racked up 10 steals and seven blocks. 
 
Kintavious Dozier and Antwan Burnett put up big numbers for the Tigers with both players eclipsing the 20-point plateau and combining to score 47 points. Dozier contributed 25 points with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Burnett poured in a career-high 22 points with four rebounds and an assist. 
 
The G-Men were hot in the first half, shooting a sizzling 59.1 percent from the floor (13-of-22). For the game, the Tigers were 54.3 percent from the field (24-of-46). 
 
After Grambling State opened a 5-3 lead early in the game, BCU responded with a 12-4 run to take a 15-9 lead at the 12:44 mark. It was the Wildcats' largest lead of the contest. A pair of layups from Antwan Burnett and a three-pointer by Jourdan Smith put the Tigers back in front 16-15 with 10:26 to go until halftime. 
 
With BCU leading 21-16 at the midway point of the half, GSU utilized a trio of three-pointers to stay on the Wildcats' bumper. Mikale Stevenson splashed deep ball to trim BCU's lead to 21-19. Following a pair of BCU free throws, Burnett knocked down a three of his own to make it a 23-22 game. Stevenson drained another triple on the next trip down the court to give the Tigers a 25-23 advantage with 8:08 until halftime. 
 
Both teams traded buckets back and forth for the rest of the half. GSU carried a 39-36 lead heading into the break. 
 
With GSU holding onto a 43-42 lead with just over 17 minutes to play, Grambling State claimed full control of the of the contest, using a 13-0 run to build a 56-42 cushion 12:29 mark. 
 
The Wildcats did show a bit of life in the second half, cutting GSU's lead to 64-57 with 5:66 to play, but the Tigers quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback growing its lead back to double-digits, 67-57, with 3:18 remaining. GSU kept the Wildcats at bay to secure the win. 
 
BCU was paced offensively by Dhashon Dyson with 21 points, six rebounds, seven assists and a steal. 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
 

• Grambling State went 25-of-46 from the floor (54.3 percent) including 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from behind the arc and 24-of-29 (82.8 percent) from the free throw line. 
• Tra'Michael Moton and Jourdan Smith also scored in double-figures with 11 and 12 points.
• Bethune-Cookman connected on 23-of-60 of its field goal attempts (38.3 percent), 5-of-15 from three-point range (33.3 percent) and 18-of-22 from the free throw line (81.8 percent).  
• BCU held a 35-22 rebounding advantage.
• GSU scored 34 points in the paint, 21 bench points, 11 fast break points, six second chance points and 23 points off 16 BCU turnovers. 
• GSU finished with 30 points in the paint, 19 second-chance points, 11 fast break points, nine bench points and 12 points off 14 turnovers. 

UP NEXT
Grambling State heads to Tallahassee, Fla. on Jan. 15 to take on Florida A&M.  Tip is set for 8 p.m. EST at the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center.