GRAMBLING, La. | Kintavious Dozier scored a team-high 17 points as the Grambling State University men's basketball team dropped its Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) home opener to Bethune-Cookman 65-59 on Saturday afternoon at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. 
 
GSU (3-13 overall, 0-3 SWAC) trailed by as many as 19 points, but gradually clawed its way back into the game, pulling within two points of BCU (5-10, 1-1) in the closing minutes of the contest. 
 
Dozier scored 17 points with two rebounds. Ernest Ross was also solid for the Tigers, adding 13 points with seven boards, three blocks, two steals and an assist. 


Grambling State struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 22.7 percent on 5-of-22 from the floor. GSU eventually raised its percentage in the final period, shooting 41.2 percent (14-of-34) in the second half. 
 
Trailing 10-8 with 12:52 left in the first half, Grambling State went cold from the floor. BCU used a 17-5 run over the next 6:55 to grow a commanding 27-11 advantage. 
 
Bethune-Cookman's Brayan Freeman close3d the half with a 3-pointer at time expired in the opening half to give the Wildcats a 34-17 cushion at the break. Freeman scored 17 points in the first half. 
 
Grambling State gave the Wildcats for their money in the second half, nearly rallying back to snatch victory.
 
After BCU snagged its largest lead of the game, 36-17, with 19:05 to play, Grambling State began to slowly chip away at the deficit. The Tigers eventually shrunk the Wildcats' lead to single-digits, 54-46, with 5:37 remaining.
 
Following a BCU layup, P.J. Edward stroked a deep three to make it a 7-point game. Ross turned a steal into a transition dunk to make it a 56-51 contest with 4:07 to go. 
 
With 42 seconds remaining in the contest, Grambling State had an opportunity to steal the game when Dozier's layup but the deficit to 59-57. However, with the Tigers needed a defensive stop on BCU's next possession, Daniel Rouzan came up clutch for Bethune-Cookman with a layup to give the Wildcats a 61-57 lead with 14 seconds left. 
 
Grambling State tried to come back in the closing seconds but couldn't overtake the Wildcats. 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Grambling State shot 33.3 percent from the field (19-of-56) and 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from three-point range. The GSU was 18-of-27 at the free throw line (66.7 percent). 
• GSU grabbed 36 rebounds.
• The Tigers committed 12 turnovers. 
• Grambling State scored 28 points in the paint, 23 bench points, 23 points off turnovers, 15 fastbreak points and 11 second chance points. 
• Bethune-Cookman shot 38.0 percent from the floor (19-of-50) and 30.8 percent from behind the arc (4-of-13). BCU was 23-of-30 at the charity stripe (76.7 percent) 
• BCU pulled down 40 rebounds.
• The Wildcats committed 15 turnovers.
• Bethune-Cookman scored 28 points in the paint, 20 fastbreak points, 15 points off turnovers, 13 second chance points and two bench points,
• BCU was led by Brayon Freeman who scored a game-high 26 points with seven rebounds, four assists and a steal.  

Up Next 
Grambling State returns to action Monday night when the Tigers host Florida A&M in the second game of a doubleheader on Willis Reed Court at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. The GSU women tip-off at 5:30 p.m. when the men set to play 30 minutes following the conclusion of that contest.  

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