JOURNAL SPORTS
GRAMBLING – The drought is done. The Dance begins.
Thanks to Shreveport senior Tra’Michael Moton, the MVP of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, Grambling is finally in the NCAA Tournament, and will head to one of college basketball’s most receptive destinations, Dayton, Ohio, for a First Four matchup Wednesday at 5:40 (CST) against Big Sky Conference Tournament champion Montana State (17-17).
The Tigers (20-14) backed up their second straight SWAC regular-season championship by claiming the SWAC Tournament title Saturday night in Birmingham, putting away nemesis Texas Southern 75-66 to clinch the NCAA Tournament berth. A year ago, the Johnny Jones-coached TSU Tigers spoiled Grambling’s bid for March Madness with an upset in the SWAC Tournament championship game.
Moton, a Woodlawn product, scored a career-best 26 while draining six 3-pointers in Grambling’s 65-53 semifinal win over Bethune-Cookman, then contributed a game-best 7 assists Saturday night. He was joined on the five-man All-SWAC Tournament list by teammate Kintavious Dozier.
Saturday night, coach Donte Jackson’s Grambling group opened a 41-24 halftime lead and held off a couple of rallies by TSU, but never let the losers get closer than seven points. Jourdan Smith led Grambling with 20 points.
The SWAC champs pushed past Alabama State 56-50 Thursday in the tournament quarterfinals. The Hornets had knocked off the visiting Tigers 87-84 in double overtime five days earlier.
Along with losing in last year’s SWAC Tournament final, Grambling fell short in the 2011 SWAC title game. The Tigers won the SWAC regular-season title also in Jackson’s first season, 2017-18, but didn’t make the tournament championship contest.
Grambling and the SWAC entered NCAA Division I for the 1978 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers won SWAC regular-season titles before Jackson in 1987 under legendary coach Fred Hobdy, in 1989 under Bob Hopkins, but in the 46 years of the SWAC’s tie in with March Madness, had never broken through to claim the conference tournament and NCAA automatic bid.
“It is amazing to accomplish something new in Grambling State history,” Jackson told HBCU Legends. “When you think of Grambling, and all the greats that walked that campus, I mean to accomplish something somebody else hasn’t done, it’s a surreal moment.”
Jackson praised Moton, whose leadership sparked Grambling through some tough stretches in the tourney final.
“Tra’Michael Moton is an amazing kid. He’s quiet, a leader, and a leader by example. When he speaks, everybody listens. It’s great to see him in this moment and capitalize,” said Jackson.
“He was like, ‘I got us, coach!’ What confidence. I love that kid.”