COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Interstat) — Antonio Munoz scored 23 points and Jamil Muttilib added 19 as Grambling built a double-digit lead and then held off a late Hampton rally for an 81-72 victory in a non-conference men’s basketball game Friday night at Gateway Center Arena.

The Tigers, who led by as many as 16 points in the second half, saw their advantage whittled down to just four with under three minutes to play. A critical sequence with just over a minute remaining proved decisive. With Grambling leading 74-70, Hampton’s Xzavier Long missed a layup that would have cut the deficit to two. Muttilib secured the defensive rebound and, on the ensuing possession, converted a layup off an assist from Munoz to push the lead back to six with 1:32 on the clock.

Hampton’s Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt, who led all scorers with 22 points, answered with a driving layup to make it 76-72, but the Pirates would get no closer. Grambling closed the game on a 5-0 run from the free-throw line, with Munoz hitting three of four attempts in the final 32 seconds to seal the win.

The game’s most important stretch came earlier, as Grambling used a 12-2 run spanning the end of the first half and the start of the second to establish control. Leading 35-33 late in the opening period, the Tigers scored the final three points before halftime. They then opened the second half with nine points in the first three minutes, capped by a 3-pointer from Muttilib, to take a 47-35 lead. Hampton never fully recovered, spending the rest of the game fighting uphill.

Grambling improved to 5-6 overall, securing its second consecutive win following a victory over Norfolk State the previous night. Hampton fell to 6-7, snapping a two-game winning streak.

The Tigers set the tone with efficient offense, shooting 57.4% from the field (27 of 47) and dominating inside with 44 points in the paint. They also capitalized on Hampton’s mistakes, scoring 24 points off 13 Pirates turnovers. Defensively, Grambling recorded nine steals and six blocks, with Munoz contributing two blocks and two steals to go with his five assists.

Hampton struggled to find consistent offense outside of Gaines-Wyatt. The Pirates shot just 45.3% from the field and were hampered by 13 turnovers. Christian Watson provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, and Long finished with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, but the Pirates could not overcome Grambling’s offensive efficiency.

Grambling led 38-33 at halftime after a back-and-forth opening period. The Tigers opened the game on a 10-2 run, but Hampton responded with an 11-2 spurt of its own to take a brief 13-12 lead. The first half featured six lead changes before Grambling pulled ahead for good late in the period.

Derrius Ward added 12 points for Grambling, while Roderick Coffee dished out a game-high six assists. For Hampton, Daniel Johnson scored nine points and Josh Ogundele added seven.

The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 486 at the neutral-site arena. Grambling will travel to face Ohio State on Tuesday, while Hampton returns home to host Stony Brook next Monday.