HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — Southern Mississippi used a strong second half to defeat Grambling 68-60 in a men’s nonconference basketball game Monday night at Reed Green Coliseum. The Golden Eagles, who trailed 31-29 at halftime, outscored the Tigers 39-29 after intermission to secure the victory before a crowd of 2,347. Isaac Taveras led Southern Mississippi with 18 points and five assists. Tylik Weeks added a game-high 19 points. Roderick Coffee scored 16 points for Grambling, which fell to 3-6. Southern Mississippi improved to 6-4. The Golden Eagles avenged a 75-70 loss at Grambling on Nov. 13.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — A dominant second-half surge, fueled by a career performance from Isaac Taveras, propelled Southern Mississippi to a 68-60 victory over Grambling in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at Reed Green Coliseum. In a rematch of a Grambling win just over three weeks prior, the Golden Eagles flipped the script after halftime, erasing a narrow deficit to pull away and improve to 6-4 on the season. The Tigers, who led by two points at the intermission, fell to 3-6. The most critical phase of the game unfolded in the opening minutes of the second half. Holding a 31-29 lead, Grambling saw its advantage vanish under a swift and decisive 10-2 Southern Mississippi run. The Golden Eagles’ attack was methodical, with Taveras scoring on a layup and Dylan Brumfield converting a jumper and a free throw. Tylik Weeks capped the pivotal stretch with a layup and a subsequent free throw, giving Southern Mississippi a 39-33 lead with 15:32 remaining, a margin they would not relinquish. Grambling struggled to mount a consistent response against a reinvigorated Southern Mississippi defense. The Tigers were held to 29 points after halftime, shooting poorly from the floor. Their offense often stalled, resulting in multiple shot-clock violations during key possessions down the stretch. Isaac Taveras was the catalyst for the Golden Eagles, delivering his finest game of the young season. The guard from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, scored 18 points, dished out five assists and grabbed five rebounds in 34 minutes. His driving layups and playmaking were central to Southern Mississippi’s offensive flow, particularly during the game-changing run. He was complemented by the backcourt efficiency of hometown product Dylan Brumfield, who added 13 points and four assists, and the interior presence of Tylik Weeks. Weeks, a forward from New York, logged a game-high 40 minutes and contributed 19 points and seven rebounds. Grambling was led by Roderick Coffee’s 16 points and four assists. Antonio Munoz provided a spark off the bench with 14 points, but the Tigers’ offense could not find a sustained rhythm against Southern Mississippi’s defensive adjustments after halftime. The first half was a tightly contested, sloppy affair, featuring 19 combined turnovers. Grambling managed to carve out a small lead, taking a 31-29 advantage into the break after Southern Mississippi’s Fallou Diagne hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer. Southern Mississippi’s victory avenged a 75-70 loss at Grambling on Nov. 13. The Golden Eagles now look ahead to a neutral-site matchup against Mississippi in Biloxi on Saturday. Grambling will have an extended break before facing Norfolk State in a tournament in College Park, Georgia, on Dec. 18. An announced crowd of 2,347 watched the Golden Eagles outscore the Tigers 39-29 in the second half to secure the win.

Preview: Grambling Tigers at Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — A rematch from earlier this season awaits when Grambling visits Southern Mississippi in a nonconference men’s basketball game Monday night at Reed Green Coliseum. The Tigers (3-5) earned a 75-70 home win over the Golden Eagles (5-4) on Nov. 13. Southern Mississippi will look to avenge that loss on its home floor, where it is 3-1 this season. Grambling seeks its first true road victory after an 0-4 start away from home. Grambling guard Derrius Ward, who scored 18 points in a narrow 65-63 loss at Tulane on Dec. 2, will be a focal point. In the first meeting against Southern Miss, Ward filled the stat sheet with three points, four rebounds and five assists. He is averaging 14.2 points over his last five games. Southern Mississippi counters with forward Djahi Binet, who has provided a recent scoring spark. Binet is averaging 14.3 points over his last three contests, including a 17-point performance in an 82-75 win at Radford on Dec. 3. He was limited to four points and four rebounds in 16 minutes in the loss at Grambling. The Golden Eagles are looking to rebound from an 88-64 road defeat at Miami (Fla.) on Saturday. Grambling arrives after a week off following its two-point loss at Tulane. Following this game, Southern Mississippi travels to face Mississippi in Biloxi on Dec. 13. Grambling’s next action is at a neutral-site event against Norfolk State on Dec. 18 in College Park, Georgia. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.