GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State rallied in the second half but could not overcome a slow start in a 66-59 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) loss to Florida A&M on Saturday afternoon at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
With the loss, Grambling State dropped to 12-17 overall and 6-10 in SWAC play. Florida A&M improved to 13-15 overall and 10-7 in conference action.
Florida A&M controlled the game from the outset, building a double-digit lead midway through the first half. The Rattlers shot 44 percent from the field in the opening period and limited Grambling State to 6-of-31 shooting, including 2-of-12 from 3-point range.
A jumper by Jaquan Sanders at the buzzer gave Florida A&M its largest lead of the half at 30-17 entering the break. The Rattlers scored 20 of their 30 first-half points in the paint and did not trail in the contest.
Grambling State responded with renewed energy in the second half, shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and knocking down 6 of 11 from beyond the arc. The Tigers opened the period on a 9-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Derrius Ward and a pair of baskets inside by Jimel Lane, to trim the deficit to single digits.
Ward led Grambling State with 17 points, connecting on 4 of 9 from 3-point range. Jamil Muttilib added 10 points, including three 3-pointers in the final four minutes, as the Tigers made a late push.
After trailing by as many as 14 points early in the second half, Grambling State cut the deficit to 61-56 with 47 seconds remaining on Muttilib's third 3-pointer of the half. Roderick Coffee III followed with a transition 3-pointer to bring the Tigers within 66-59 with 32 seconds left.
However, Florida A&M secured key rebounds and forced a pair of missed 3-point attempts in the closing seconds to seal the victory.
Coffee finished with 10 points and six rebounds, while Lane contributed eight points and five boards. Antonio Munoz scored seven points and dished out two assists off the bench.
Florida A&M placed four players in double figures, led by Sanders with 16 points. Antonio Baker and Miles Ndalama each added 12 points, and Ndalama grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Tyler Shirley chipped in eight points and eight rebounds.
The Rattlers shot 46.6 percent from the field for the game and held a 40-32 advantage on the glass. They also outscored Grambling State 44-16 in the paint.
Grambling State finished 20 of 60 from the field and 8 of 23 from 3-point range while converting 11 of 13 free throws. The Tigers forced 16 turnovers and scored 22 points off those miscues but were unable to overcome the first-half deficit.
UP NEXT
Grambling State heads to Huntsville, Ala. to take on Alabama A&M on Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center.
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