Men’s Basketball Recap: Nov. 23
Around the SWAC
Grambling State 74, Niagara 68
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – The Grambling State University men’s basketball team had four players in double figures and held off a late Niagara charge as the Tigers earned a 74-68 road victory during the Fort Myers Tip-Off Classic on Saturday afternoon at the Frank and Barbara Layden Court at the Gallagher Center.
Grambling State (3-2) led 44-37 at the half and saw the lead dwindle down to five a couple times in the second half, but Niagara could not get over the hump as the Tigers won their second consecutive game.
Devante Jackson paced four Grambling State players in double figures with 16 points, including going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also added three rebounds, two blocks and one assist. Lasani Johnson scored 15 points, on 6-of-12 shooting, with six boards and one assist, while Ivy Smith, Jr. tallied 12 points, a game-high nine assists, six rebounds and two steals. Dallas Polk-Hilliard registered a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in playing all but two minutes of action.
Marvin Prochet finished with a game-high 23 points, on 7-of-15 shooting and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe to lead the Purple Eagles. He also added 12 rebounds and one block. Dominic Robb also recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, along with three steals and two blocks.
-Grambling State Sports Information
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 115, Cal State Baptist 107 (3 OT)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – SWAC Preseason Player of the Year Martaveous McKnight finished with a game high 40 points, six rebounds and four assists. McKnight broke the Jack Stephens Center record for most points in a single game and this is the second time in five games that McKnight has hit the 40-point mark.
The Golden Lions (1-4) outscored the Lancers (2-3) in the third overtime 17-9. McKnight had nine points in the period including two jumpers and five made free throws, Charles Jackson added a 3-pointer while Terrance Banyard hit a pair of free throws, Shaun Doss made one and Cameron Posey concluded the scoring with a driving layup in the paint.
McKnight played a game-high and season-high 52 minutes. Jackson made 7-of-13 shots from the floor and scored 27 points off the bench with four rebounds and two blocks. Banyard scored 12 and pulled a game-high 22 rebounds with three blocks and a steal. Doss finished with 15 points.
Liberty 76, Alcorn State 54
LYNCHBURG, VA – The Braves (1-4) trailed by 12 at the break and could not get any closer as the team shot 40 percent from the floor while the Flames made 54 percent from the field.
Reginald Johnson led Alcorn State with 12 points while Khari Jabriel Allen and David Robinson had nine points apiece.
The Flames (4-1) had four players reach double digits in scoring led by Elijah Cuffee’s 15 points.
Western Michigan 85, Southern 70
NICEVILLE, Fla. – Despite trailing by 18 at halftime, the Jaguars (0-5) kept playing hard and outscored the Broncos (2-4) in the second half 36-33.
Eddie Reese scored a team-high 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, Richard Lee scored 14, Jayden Sadler added 12 and Trevor Blackmon had 11 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Seth Dugan had a game-high 28 points to led Western Michigan while Josh Davis had 24 points and seven rebounds as the Broncos shot 56 percent from the floor as a team.
Georgia Tech 65, Prairie View A&M 54
ATLANTA, GA – Gary Blackston had 19 points and nine rebounds and Devonte Patterson added 16 points, but the Panthers could not hold their lead.
The Panthers (1-6) led 27-26 at halftime, but Georgia Tech used an 11-0 run in the second half to take its first lead of the game and held off Prairie View A&M at McCamish Pavilion.
Georgia Tech, which had trailed throughout the game, found itself down by eight points (41-33) with 14:16 remaining in the contest. However, the Yellow Jackets scored the game’s next 11 points, nine of which came from sophomore Jose Alvarado, to take 44-41 advantage. From there, the Jackets never trailed again, as they closed the game on a 32-13 run to seal the victory.
Alvarado led Tech with 15 points and a game-high six assists. Brandon Alston and Curtis Haywood II added 14 and 10 points, respectively, to round out three Yellow Jackets in double-figures. All 15 of Alvarado’s points came in the second half while Alston scored 13 of his 14 after the break.
James Banks III chipped in with nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
--Georgia Tech Sports Information
Northwestern State 70, Alabama A&M 66 (OT)
Natchitoches, La. – The Bulldogs’ Jalen Reeder slammed home a dunk to tie the game at 63 all, but the Demons responded with a layup from DeAndre Love and a 3-pointer from Ishmael Lane to make a five-point lead with nine seconds left.
A 3-pointer by Reeder cut the deficit to 68-66 with two seconds remaining and LaTerrance Reed made a pair of free throws to ice it for the Demons (2-4).
Reeder finished with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting with five rebounds and Andre Kennedy added 16 points.