GRAMBLING, La. |  Grambling State opened SWAC play with a hard-fought 76-72 victory over Prairie View A&M on Saturday afternoon at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

The Tigers improved to 7-7 overall and 1-0 inthe Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), holding off a late charge from the Panthers to secure the four-point win in front of 1,002 fans.

Grambling State used a balanced offensive effort and timely free-throw shooting down the stretch to pull away in a game that featured five ties and two lead changes. The Tigers led 37-30 at halftime after holding Prairie View to just 29.0 percent shooting in the first half.

Prairie View (5-9, 0-1 SWAC) came out strong after the break, shooting 50 percent in the second half and trimming the deficit several times. The Panthers outscored GSU  42-39 in the final 20 minutes, but the Tigers answered every run to maintain control.

Antonio Munoz led Grambling State with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Rickey Ballard knocked down four three-pointers on his way to 13 points. Roderick Coffee III added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Devyn Franklin chipped in 11 points off the bench. Lance Williams also reached double figures with 11 points, helping GSU place five players in double digits.

The Tigers shot an efficient 46.9 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range, finishing 7-of-15 from beyond the arc. Grambling State also forced 18 Prairie View turnovers and converted them into 21 points, a key difference in the contest.

Prairie View was led by Tai'Reon Joseph, who scored a game-high 21 points while playing all 40 minutes. Lance Williams added 15 points, and Dontae Horne and Cory Wells chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Panthers went 21-of-27 at the free-throw line but were limited to 38.6 percent shooting overall.

Down the stretch, Grambling State sealed the win at the free-throw line, going 23-of-35 for the game, including several key makes in the final minute. A last-second three-pointer by Prairie View cut the final margin to four, but the Tigers had already done enough to secure the victory.

UP NEXT
Grambling State continues SWAC play on Monday when Texas Southern visits the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. TIp-off is schedule for 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on SWAC TV.

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