ATLANTA, Ga. | The Grambling State Tigers opened play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Basketball Tournament with a dominant 77-52 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Sunday night at Gateway Center Arena at College Park, Ga.
Grambling State (15-18) used a decisive first-half run and a season-best performance from beyond the arc to pull away early and cruise to the win.
The Tigers connected on 13 3-pointers in the contest, marking a season high for the team. Grambling finished 13-of-24 from long distance (54.2 percent) and shot 43.6 percent overall from the field.
Jamil Muttilib paced the Tigers with 22 points, knocking down five 3-pointers while adding four rebounds. Derrius Ward provided a strong performance off the bench with 15 points and seven assists, while Mekhi Fitts added nine points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting night. Roderick Coffee III chipped in nine points and five assists, and Jimel Lane contributed eight points and six rebounds.
Mississippi Valley State grabbed an early 3-0 lead, but Grambling quickly responded and seized control midway through the first half. After trailing 13-5, the Tigers ignited a 20-0 run fueled by perimeter shooting and defensive pressure, taking a 25-13 lead with 5:07 to in the first half.
Muttilib sparked the surge with back-to-back 3-pointers, while Ward added another triple and knocked down two free throws as Grambling pushed its lead into double digits. The Tigers closed the half on a strong run, capped by a pair of late 3-pointers from Muttilib and Ward, to take a commanding 34-19 lead into the break.
Grambling continued to build on the momentum in the second half. Muttilib opened the period with a three-point play, and the Tigers steadily stretched their advantage with balanced scoring and solid interior play.
Ward and Coffee helped orchestrate the offense as the Tigers extended the lead past 20 points midway through the second half. Coffee drained a pair of triples, while Fitts added a three during a late run that pushed the margin to as many as 29 points.
Grambling also capitalized on MVSU's miscues, turning 18 Delta Devil turnovers into 23 points.
Defensively, the Tigers limited Mississippi Valley State to 34.6 percent shooting. Michael James led the Delta Devils with a game-high 23 points.
The Tigers also received strong production from their bench, which outscored Mississippi Valley State's reserves 32-24.
UP NEXT
Grambling State now faces No. 7 seed Jackson State in the next round of the SWAC Tournament. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. at the Gateway Center Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
