Alabama A&M beats Grambling 59-51 in SWAC tourney; Tigers end season without victory

GARLAND, Texas – Brandon Ellis scored 19 points and Demarquelle Tabb had 15 points and 15 rebounds as Alabama State completed Grambling's winless season with a 59-51 victory in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday night.

Green Hill added 11 points for the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (11-19), who play No. 1 seed Southern in Friday's semifinals.

Terry Rose scored 22 points for the Tigers (0-28), who are the first Division I team to end a season without a win since NJIT in 2007-08.

Grambling got one last chance to end its skid — under normal circumstances, the last-place squad would not have qualified for the SWAC tournament, but three other schools were ineligible — against the last team it defeated. The Tigers topped Alabama A&M in overtime in their 2011-12 finale.

Wednesday's loss was Grambling's first this season by single digits. It led 28-25 at halftime and was within 51-47 with 2:26 remaining, but the Bulldogs went 8 for 10 from the free-throw line in the final 55 seconds to protect their lead.

The Tigers' next potential date with infamy is the Division I-record 41-game losing streak, set by Towson in 2011 and '12.