Box Score

GRAMBLING, La.- The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats overcame a 14-point first half deficit to defeat Grambling State 76-71 at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

The win combined with Southern's loss to Florida A&M clinches the SWAC regular season title for the Wildcats, their first since joining the SWAC and second ever title since joining Division I.

Bethune-Cookman (16-13, 13-3) got off to a tough start offensively, scoring just four points in the opening seven minutes of the game. Meanwhile, Grambling State (12-16, 6-9) scored 17 points in just over six minutes of game time, recovering from an 0-for-5 start to take a double-digit lead. An alley-oop by Derrius Ward gave the Tigers their largest lead of the half at 14 points.

Over the final ten minutes, B-CU would outscore GSU 22-11 to narrow the deficit to just three points at halftime. The Wildcats shot just 28.6 percent and finished with 15 turnovers but were able to hold the Tigers to 41.2 percent and even the rebounding differential.

Jakobi Heady led the way for B-CU with 11 points, while Roderick Coffee III carried the load for the Tigers with 14. The Wildcats scored the first four points of the second half to take their first lead since the beginning of the game, but the lead would be traded back and forth for the next several minutes.

Down two with 9:49, B-CU managed an 11-0 run to put build some separation on the scoreboard. The Tigers fought back to cut the lead to three with 1:03 remaining but were unable to complete the comeback. Quentin Heady made a layup with eight seconds remaining to put the game on ice.

Both teams struggled from three and from the free-throw line in the second half, but the Wildcats out-rebounded GSU 24-17 and shot 51.percent overall compared to 40 percent for the Tigers.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.