GRAMBLING, La. (Interstat) — The Grambling Tigers used a balanced offensive attack and a decisive second-half surge to pull away from the Texas Southern Tigers for an 84-67 victory in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Monday night at Fredrick Hobdy Assembly Center.

A crowd of 1,756 saw Grambling improve to 8-7 overall and 2-0 in the SWAC, while Texas Southern fell to 2-11 and 0-2.

The game’s pivotal sequence arrived early in the second half, transforming what had been a competitive contest into a commanding Grambling lead. After taking a 40-34 advantage into halftime, Grambling opened the second period with a 13-4 run over the first four and a half minutes. The burst was fueled by interior play and defensive stops. Devyn Franklin, a 6-foot-8 forward from Terrell, Texas, scored six points during the stretch, including a putback layup, while the Grambling defense forced Texas Southern into rushed shots and turnovers.

That run extended Grambling’s lead to 53-38, and Texas Southern never recovered, unable to cut the deficit to single digits for the remainder of the game. The home team’s lead ballooned to as many as 22 points in the closing minutes.

Grambling was led by a standout performance from guard Roderick Coffee. The 6-foot-4 junior from Painesville, Ohio, scored a game-high 21 points in just 28 minutes, knocking down three 3-pointers and adding two assists. He was complemented effectively by forward Derrius Ward, a 6-foot-6 Philadelphia native who added 20 points and three assists, showcasing an efficient all-around game.

Texas Southern’s offense relied heavily on the scoring of guard Zaire Hayes. The Houston product played 33 minutes and led all scorers with 25 points, connecting on four shots from beyond the arc. Beyond Hayes, however, the visiting Tigers struggled to find consistent scoring, with only Jaylen Wysinger (7 points) reaching even half of Hayes’ output.

Grambling’s depth proved to be a significant factor. Franklin finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, while forward Mekhi Fitts contributed eight points and several key plays during the second-half separation. Rickey Ballard, despite scoring only eight points, filled the stat sheet with multiple assists, steals, and rebounds to facilitate the Grambling game plan.

For Texas Southern, the loss extends a difficult start to conference play, following a road defeat at Southern on Saturday. The team has now lost nine of its last ten games, with the lone victory in that stretch coming against non-Division I Huston-Tillotson. Grambling, meanwhile, has won three of its last four, building momentum early in the SWAC schedule.

The game’s tempo was dictated early by Grambling’s defensive pressure, which generated 12 Texas Southern turnovers. Grambling also held a notable advantage in second-chance points, capitalizing on offensive rebounds to maintain possession and extend leads during critical moments.

Statistically, the outcome aligned with pregame projections from Interstat’s ELO system, which gave Grambling a 67.5 percent probability to win. The combined point total of 151 also fell under the betting over/under line of 148.

Texas Southern will look to rebound at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. Grambling continues its conference slate on the road Saturday at Bethune-Cookman. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Houston on Feb. 14.