From Grambling State Sports Information:
ITTA BENA, Miss. | Dallas Polk-Hilliard dropped a career-high 26 points, including six 3-pointers, as the Grambling State University men’s basketball team ended its season-long four-game losing streak with a 77-75 victory over Mississippi Valley State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Monday night at the Harrison HPER Complex.
Grambling State (14-15 overall, 8-8 SWAC) remained tied for fifth in the SWAC standings after Monday night’s victory with Jackson State. JSU holds the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series.
Polk-Hilliard was 10-of-18 from the field and 6-of-10 from beyond the three-point line to finish with a game-high 26 points. He also added two boards, two assists and one blocks. Nigel Ribeiro registered 12 points, four boards and three assists, while Axel Mpoyo recorded 10 points, nine boards and one block. Ivy Smith, Jr., who came into the game needing one point to reach the 1,000-point plateau, tallied four points and picked up the milestone basket halfway through the first half.
Dante Scott led Mississippi Valley State (6-25, 4-13) with 24 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jordan Evans tallied 19 points, nine boards, two assists and two steals, while Gregory Jones-Rollins poured in 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Emmanuel Ejeh led the way on the glass with a game-high 12 rebounds.
Turning Point
With Grambling State holding a 27-26 lead, the Tigers used a 10-0 run, capped by a Prince Moss layup to grab a 37-27 advantage with 1:37 left in the opening half.
Mississippi Valley State closed the gap to 31-27 after a free throw by Emmanuel Ejeh with 3:08 remaining, but the Tigers closed out the first half on an 8-2 run to take a 39-29 advantage into the break.
The Delta Devils cut the margin to 39-33 after a bucket by Gregory Jones-Rollins with just under 19 minutes left, but the Tigers pushed the advantage to 49-39 after a 3-pointer by Dallas Polk-Hilliard with 15:50 remaining.
Mississippi Valley State continued to trim the deficit, 57-51, after a free throw by Ejeh, but again Grambling State extended the margin, stretching the lead to 62-51, after a jumper by Devante Jackson with 6:49 left.
The Tigers pushed the advantage to 69-57 after an Axel Mpoyo layup with 2:54 remaining, but the Delta Devils cut the margin to 69-63 after a Jordan Evans layup with 1:07 left.
Mississippi Valley State continued to cut the deficit as Evans sank a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left. However, Price Moss sealed the game at the foul line to end Grambling State’s losing streak.
Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State shot 49.1 percent (28-of-57) from the floor and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the charity stripe
> Mississippi Valley State was 24-of-64 (37.5 percent) from the field and 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the foul line
> GSU registered 37 rebounds, including 32 on the defensive glass
> MVSU pulled down 40 rebounds, with 28 coming on the defensive end
> The Tigers finished with 16 points in the paint, 16 bench points, eight points off 11 Delta Devil turnovers and five second-chance points
> The Delta Devils recorded 22 points in the paint, 20 points off 15 Tiger turnovers, 17 second-chance points and seven bench points
News & Notes
> GSU was predicted to win the conference and are defending its regular season crown
> Grambling State leads the conference in nine different categories
> Dallas Polk-Hilliard paces the Tigers with seven double-doubles
> Ivy Smith, Jr. leads the conference in assists per game, free-throws made and total assists
> Ivy Smith, Jr. surpassed the 1,000-point plateau with a jumper with 10:44 left in the first half
Up Next
Grambling State concludes the regular season with a pair of home games this week. The Lady Tigers will meet Alabama State on Thursday (7:30 p.m.) and Alabama A&M for Senior Day on Saturday (5 p.m.).
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