BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | The Grambling State University men's basketball team fought off a pesky Alabama State 56-50 on Wednesday night at Bartow Arena to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Basketball Tournament. 
 
The Tigers got a game-high 18 points out of Kintavious Dozier to go along with his three rebounds and one assist, to help the GSU (18-14) avenge last weekend's double overtime loss to the Hornets. 
 
With the Tigers holding a 9-8 lead at the 12:15 mark of the first half, they stretched their led to 18-8 with a 9-0 run. ASU halted the run with a layup by Isaiah Range. Another Hornet basket made it an 18-12 game heading into the third media timeout of the half with 7:49 on the clock.
 
Back-to-back threes from Dozier and Tra'Michael Moton push the Tigers' advantage to 24-12 with 6:23 left in the opening period.  The Hornets once again countered with an 11-0 run of their own, to grab a 25-24 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the half.
 
A deep three pointer by Moton put a stop to the run and put GSU back in front 27-25 with 1:53 until the break. The Tigers led 32-27 heading into the locker room. 
 
In the second half, Grambling State kept the momentum going, stretching its lead to 42-34 with 11:52 remaining. Later in the period, Moton knocked his third triple of the game down, pushing GSU's advantage to 51-40 with 5:12 to go. 
 
Alabama State cut the lead back down once again with a 7-0 run, making it a 51-47 game with 3:36 on the clock. ASU would pull within three points, 53-50, with 2:31 to go, but that would be the last bucket the Hornets would score and GSU wrapped up the game with tough defense and clutch free throws.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Grambling State went 18-of-49 from the floor (36.7 percent), 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from three-point range and 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) from the free throw line.
• Tra'Michael Motion scored 14 points with three rebounds, two assists and a block.
• Antwan Burnett added 11 points, eight boards, two assist and a block. 
• Alabama State shot 30.4 percent (17-of-56) and 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from behind the arc and 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from the charity stripe.
• GSU held a 38-36 rebounding advantage.
• The Tigers finished with 12 points in the paint, seven points off seven ASU turnovers, five bench points, seven second chance points and three fastbreak points. 
• The Hornets scored 12 points in the paint, 12 bench points, eight second chance points, seven points off 10 turnovers and three fastbreak points. 
• TJ Madlock led Alabama State with 15 points with seven rebounds, and three assists.

UP NEXT
Grambling State returns to action on Friday at 2 p.m. to take on the winner of No. 4 seed Southern and No. 5 seed Bethune-Cookman.