GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling fell to Bethune-Cookman 76-71 on Wednesday night at the Fedrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
 
With the loss, Grambling moved to 12-16 overall and 6-9 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. Bethune-Cookman improved to 16-13 overall and 13-3 in the SWAC.

Grambling led 36-33 at halftime after closing the opening period on a late surge. The Tigers used a balanced scoring effort and capitalized on transition opportunities to take a three-point edge into the break. Derrius Ward scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the first half, knocking down four 3-pointers to keep Grambling within striking distance during a back-and-forth opening 20 minutes that featured 14 lead changes.
 
Bethune-Cookman shot 48.1 percent from the field in the first half, but Grambling countered with timely perimeter shooting and forced turnovers to stay in front. The Wildcats carried a 35-33 lead into the final seconds before Ward converted two free throws at the buzzer to give the Tigers the halftime advantage.
 
The second half continued to swing both ways. Bethune-Cookman opened the period with a quick spurt to reclaim the lead, but Grambling responded behind Ward and Roderick Coffee III. Coffee finished with 18 points and six assists, while Ward added five rebounds.
 
A 3-pointer by Jamil Muttilib at the 16:32 mark of the second half put Grambling in front 45-44, part of a stretch that saw six ties overall in the contest. However, Bethune-Cookman began to assert itself inside, scoring 56 points in the paint and finishing the night shooting 50 percent from the floor.
 
Jakobi Heady led Bethune-Cookman with 20 points, including 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Daniel Rouzan added 15 points, while Arterio Morris also scored 15 off the bench. Ariel Bland chipped in eight points and a team-high seven assists as the Wildcats outscored Grambling 43-35 in the second half.
 
Grambling cut the deficit to three, 74-71, with just over a minute remaining after a jumper by Coffee, but the Tigers were unable to convert on their final possessions. Bethune-Cookman sealed the game with a late basket in the closing seconds.
 
The Tigers shot 40.6 percent (28 of 69) from the field and 32 percent (8 of 25) from 3-point range. Grambling forced 20 turnovers and scored 19 points off those miscues but struggled at the free-throw line, converting 7 of 13 attempts.
 
UP NEXT
Grambling State hosts Florida A&M on Saturday for Senior Day. Tip-off for the doubleheader featuring the GSU men's and women's basketball teams is set for 2 p.m. The games will be streamed live on SWAC TV. 
 
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