Grambling rallies to edge Southeastern in non-conference home finale

HAMMOND, La. – Drake Wilks scored on a putback with 3.7 seconds left, lifting Grambling State to a 68-67 non-conference win over Southeastern Louisiana Saturday afternoon in the University Center.

Wilks’s basket culminated a 22-point second-half comeback for the Tigers (4-7). Southeastern (6-5) could not get off a shot before the buzzer.

Senior guard Joshua Filmore led the Lions with 16 points. Senior forward James Currington and senior guard Jabbar Singleton contributed 11 points each. Junior forward Moses Greenwood had a team-high eight rebounds while junior guard Marlain Veal had six assists. The Lions shot 50 percent for the game, including 61.5 percent in taking a 46-27 lead into the half.

Anthony Gaston finished with a game-high 18 points for Grambling. DeVante Jackson had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Ivy Smith Jr. added 13 points and four assists. The Tigers shot 30.3 percent, 44.1 percent in the second half.

Grambling pulled to within 67-66 on a 3-pointer by Gaston with 44 seconds left. Shirmane Jackson forced a steal on the ensuing possession, giving the Tigers the ball with 15 seconds left. Jackson missed a jumper from the top of the key but Wilks got the rebound. Wilks missed the putback but got it back and scored to make it 68-67 with 3.6 seconds left.

After a Southeastern timeout, senior guard Eddy Polanco raced the ball up the court but had the buzzer go off before his desperation shot from the right wing missed short.

Southeastern had matched its biggest lead of the game, at 49-27, on a layup by senior forward Jordan Capps with 18:58 remaining.

BOX SCORE

Grambling State 68, Southeastern La. 67

GRAMBLING STATE (4-7)

GASTON, Anthony 5-12 5-5 18; JACKSON, DeVante 7-10 2-2 16; SMITH, JR., Ivy 5-12 2-2 13; WILKS, Drake 3-7 0-0 8; MPOYO, Axel 2-6 2-2 6; PERRY-MURRAY, Jason 1-5 2-3 4; THOMAS, Shirmane 1-2 0-0 3; JONES, Diontae 0-3 0-0 0; JACKSON, Bobby 0-2 0-0 0; WRIGHT, Kareem 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-61 13-14 68.

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (6-5)

Filmore, Joshua 5-9 2-4 16; Currington, James 5-6 1-3 11; Singleton, Jabbar 3-5 3-4 11; Capps, Jordan 3-8 2-6 8; Veal, Marlain 2-9 3-7 8; Greenwood, Moses 3-4 1-2 7; Polanco, Eddy 2-3 2-2 6; Charleston, Keith 0-2 0-0 0; West, D’Angelo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-46 14-28 67.

Grambling State……………   27   41  –   68

Southeastern Louisiana……..   46   21  –   67

3-point goals–Grambling State 7-16 (GASTON, Anthony 3-5; WILKS, Drake 2-4; THOMAS, Shirmane 1-1; SMITH, JR., Ivy 1-2; JONES, Diontae 0-2; WRIGHT, Kareem 0-2), Southeastern Louisiana 7-18 (Filmore, Joshua 4-7; Singleton, Jabbar 2-3; Veal, Marlain 1-4; Polanco, Eddy 0-1; Charleston, Keith 0-1; Capps, Jordan 0-2). Fouled out–Grambling State-SMITH, JR., Ivy, Southeastern Louisiana-Veal, Marlain. Rebounds–Grambling State 41 (JACKSON, DeVante 11), Southeastern Louisiana 29 (Greenwood, Moses 8). Assists–Grambling State 9 (SMITH, JR., Ivy 4), Southeastern Louisiana 14 (Veal, Marlain 6). Total fouls–Grambling State 26, Southeastern Louisiana 19. Technical fouls–Grambling State-THOMAS, Shirmane; TEAM, Southeastern Louisiana-Veal, Marlain. A-425