The Grambling State University men’s basketball team (3-19, SWAC 2-11) will have the opportunity to capture its forth win of the season and second in a row. The Tigers will hit the hardwood at 5:00 p.m. at the Fredrick C. Hodby Assembly Center.
Saturday, the Tigers will battle Jackson State University (9-16, SWAC 5-8) in their first of three consecutive home games.
Last time these two teams met was in Jackson Miss., where GSU was blown out, 76-59. In that game, Chandler Thomas led GSU with 13 points, and no other Tiger scored in double figures.
This time when the teams met, momentum should be higher for GSU because of their recent success. Losing has been the perception of Grambling’s men’s basketball in recent history, but as of late, the team has shown signs of progression. Not only did they end a 31-game road-losing streak, but they also won their last two of three games. The last time Grambling won on the road and won two out of three games was in 2012.
“It feels good to win, when you have two key players down,” said A’Torri Shine, the team’s leading scorer with 15.2 points. “It shows the growth of the team, and the leadership we had on the floor.”
The only downfall for GSU is that they are short handed because of injuries. In the Tigers, 95-80, win over Alcorn State University, Remond Brown broke his fibula after a dunk to beat the halftime buzzer. Against Texas Southern, Antwan Scott suffered a rib injury, but finished the game and scored 18 points. GSU lost 74-71. Scott is questionable for Saturday’s game.
“We are going to need a big game out of Windale Glinton and Tyron Bain,” said Shine, forward from Minden. “We have to play together and be coachable.”
Glinton and Bain averages six points collectively, but Bain showed up against Prairie View on Monday with 12 points, a season high.
This has been a tough season for Grambling’s Tigers, but if they can manage to win at least two of last the five games, they would finish with a higher win total of the last two seasons combined.
The Tigers’ last season debacle resulted in them finishing the year 0-28, and in the 2011-2012 season they only won four out of 28 games. Not to say winning five games in a season is good, but it would definitely be progression.