GRAMBLING, La. (Interstat) — A frigid offensive performance doomed Alabama State from the start, but it was a second-half surge by Grambling’s Roderick Coffee that officially sealed the Hornets’ fate in a 57-47 men’s basketball game Saturday at Fredrick Hobdy Assembly Center.

In a contest defined by defensive struggle and poor shooting, Coffee, a junior guard from Painesville, Ohio, scored 19 of his game-high 24 points after halftime to propel the Tigers to a comeback victory. The win evened Grambling’s season record at 11-11 overall and in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, while Alabama State fell to 7-15.

The most important part of the game was Grambling’s decisive 20-5 run that spanned the middle of the second half, transforming a narrow deficit into an insurmountable lead. After Alabama State’s Micah Simpson hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 36 with 9:51 remaining, the Hornets’ offense completely collapsed. Over the next seven minutes and 19 seconds, Alabama State managed just one made field goal, a 3-pointer from Tyler Mack, while committing four turnovers.

Grambling pounced. Coffee ignited the run with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to retake the lead for good. Rickey Ballard, who finished with 14 points, then connected on back-to-back 3-pointers, the second assisted by Chancellor Perkins, to push the advantage to nine. Coffee capped the surge with a driving layup, and when Ballard sank another three with 7:16 left, the Tigers led 47-39. The Hornets, who shot a dismal 27.3% from the field for the game, could not muster a response, getting no closer than six points the rest of the way.

The first half set the tone for the offensive woes that would plague Alabama State throughout. The Hornets opened the game with a 3-pointer from Simpson but then endured a scoring drought of over six minutes. Despite Grambling’s own early struggles, the Tigers trailed just 21-18 at intermission thanks to a late first-half 3-pointer from Coffee.

Alabama State’s offensive inefficiency was historic. The Hornets’ 47 points on 68 possessions resulted in an offensive rating of 69.4, a figure that underscored their inability to generate any consistent scoring. They were outrebounded on the offensive glass 14-5 but could not capitalize, shooting 18 of 66 overall and a woeful 5 of 10 from the free-throw line. Simpson led the Hornets with 15 points.

Grambling was only marginally better offensively, shooting 35.4% from the field, but found its stroke from deep at critical moments, making 10 of 31 from 3-point range. The Tigers also took better care of their opportunities at the line, hitting 13 of 18 free throws. Defensively, Grambling blocked six shots and limited Alabama State to just 22 points in the paint.

Beyond Coffee and Ballard, Derrius Ward contributed seven points and three assists for Grambling. Devyn Franklin anchored the interior with five points, six rebounds and two blocks.

The game, attended by 1,075 fans, was a stark contrast to Alabama State’s previous outing, an 79-66 win over Florida A&M. For Grambling, it provided a bounce-back after a narrow midweek loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Alabama State looks to regroup quickly, traveling to face Southern on Monday. Grambling remains at home to host Alabama A&M, also on Monday.