RIVERSIDE, Calif. | Grambling State put together one of its most efficient offensive efforts of the season in the first half, but a late surge from UC Riverside proved too much to overcome as the Tigers fell 83–74 on Monday afternoon at SRC Arena.

Grambling State (3–4) led by as many as 10 in the opening period and carried a 36–30 advantage into halftime after shooting 44 percent from the field and getting a major spark off the bench from Rickey Ballard. The junior guard delivered a flawless performance, going 6-for-6 from the floor, including 4-for-4 from three, on his way to a team-high 20 points.

UC Riverside (4–3) countered with a big second half from Andrew Henderson, who scored 24 of his game-high 34 points after the break. The Highlanders shot a blistering 66.7 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes, outscoring GSU 53–38 to take control down the stretch.

Antonio Munoz added 16 points for the Tigers, while Jimel Lane chipped in 13 and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Randarius Jones posted a well-rounded effort with 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Roderick Coffee III contributed seven points and a team-high five assists.

Trailing 18-11 with 10:12 to play in the first half, Coffee's jumper sparked a massive 19-2 run over the next six minutes to give the Tigers a 30-20 advantage. 

Ballard was on fire during that run, scoring 10 points in that span. 

GSU took a 36-30 lead into halftime. 

UC Riverside surged in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 53-38. Grambling State maintained a lead until the Highlanders pushed ahead 50-49 with 12:40 to play.

GSU quickly jumped back in front on a layup by Lane. Both teams traded buckets over the next few minutes with GSU growing 62-57 lead with 7:57 left. 

UCR used a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to take a commanding 74-63 lead with 2:32 on the clock. Grambling State couldn't recover from that spurt. 

Grambling State held its own on the glass (27–33) and forced Riverside into 14 turnovers but was hampered by a cold second half from beyond the arc, hitting just one of six attempts. The Tigers also missed 10 free throws, finishing 23-of-33 at the stripe.

UP NEXT
Grambling State travels to New Orleans, La. to take face Tulane on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Avron B. Fogelman Arena In The Devlin Fieldhouse

FOLLOW GRAMBLING ATHLETICS
Stay updated with Grambling State Athletics by following @GSU_Tigers on X, @gramblingathletics on Instagram, and /GramblingStateTigers1901 on Facebook, or by visiting gsutigers.com.