HOUSTON (Interstat) — In a game defined by runs and relentless offensive execution, the Texas Southern Tigers edged the Grambling Tigers 82-79 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s basketball thriller Saturday night at Health & P.E. Arena.

A crowd of 1,477 saw the home team overcome a halftime deficit with a blistering second-half performance, fueled by superior shooting and a decisive final-minute sequence to snap a two-game skid and improve to 8-15 overall. Grambling, which had won the season’s first meeting by 17 points on Jan. 5, dropped to 11-13.

The most critical phase of the contest unfolded in the final 15 seconds. With the score tied at 79, Texas Southern’s Zaire Hayes, a Houston native, drove the lane and hit a difficult floating jumper with 14 seconds remaining to put his team ahead. Grambling called a full timeout to advance the ball, but on the ensuing inbounds play, Texas Southern’ defense forced a turnover by Grambling’s Derrius Ward.

Fouled immediately, Texas Southern’s Alex Anderson made the first of two free throws with 15 seconds left to extend the lead to three. He missed the second, but Grambling’s Rickey Ballard was fouled on the rebound. With a chance to cut the deficit to one, Ballard missed the front end of his one-and-one opportunity. Troy Hupstead secured the defensive board for Texas Southern and was fouled, sinking both free throws with four seconds left to seal the 82-79 victory, rendering Roderick Coffee’s jumper at the buzzer inconsequential.

The game’s pivotal stretch was a testament to Texas Southern’s efficient offense. Grambling led 39-36 at halftime, but the home team erupted for 46 second-half points on 57.1% shooting from the field. Texas Southern finished the game shooting 56.3% overall and a scorching 47.6% from three-point range. Their offensive rating of 120.9 points per 100 possessions starkly outpaced Grambling’s 111.4, illustrating the quality of their scoring chances.

Jordan Gorecki, a 6-foot-10 forward from Markham, Canada, was the top star for Texas Southern, leading a balanced attack with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in 31 minutes. His activity inside, including a key dunk and free throws down the stretch, provided a crucial counterpoint to Grambling’s perimeter attack. He was supported by 17-point outings from Hayes, Hupstead and Bryce Roberts. Hupstead, from Mount Vernon, New York, added four rebounds and three assists, while Roberts of Bossier City, Louisiana, hit four three-pointers.

Grambling was carried by the scoring of Jamil Muttilib, a Houston product who poured in a game-high 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting. Coffee, from Painesville, Ohio, added 17 points and five assists, and Jimel Lane of Miami recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Grambling won the turnover battle, converting 13 Texas Southern giveaways into 21 points, but was ultimately undone by the home team’s shooting accuracy and their own 9-of-28 performance from beyond the arc.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes. Grambling used a 7-0 run late in the period, capped by a Saliou Seye layup, to take its three-point lead into the break. Texas Southern responded immediately after halftime, opening the second period on a 10-2 run to seize control, a lead they would not relinquish despite several Grambling pushes that closed the gap to a single possession.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Texas Southern entered with a 62.7% probability to win and narrowly covered the pregame spread of -1. The total score of 161 points sailed over the over/under line of 140.5.

Grambling looks to rebound quickly, traveling to face Prairie View on Monday. Texas Southern, also in action Monday, will host Southern.