In its first game against a NCAA Division I opponent, NAIA's Georgia Gwinnett College men's basketball relied on sharp outside shooting to defeat Alabama State University 79-77 on Monday evening in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Grizzlies (6-0) are in their second season in program history and were ranked No. 18 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll.

The game was considered an exhibition by GGC but was a regular season contest for Alabama State (0-2).

Sophomore Marc Chavenet made back-to-back 3-point field goals to give the visitors a 55-53 lead with 10:32 remaining in the contest. The team would never trail the rest of the way.

Later, Chavenet connected on another 3-pointer that extended GGC's lead to 62-56 at the 7:19 mark.

Senior Brasen James hit one of the team's 11 3-point field goals to give the Grizzlies a seven-point lead, at 68-61, with just over four minutes left. He later made another shot from behind the 3-point arc one minute later as the lead grew to 71-62.

A pair of free throws from James gave GGC an 11-point advantage, at 75-64, with 2:27 remaining.

Chavenet led four double-figure scorers with 14 points off the bench, behind 4-of-5 shooting from behind the 3-point line. James chipped in 13 points and made three 3-pointers. Junior Ray Rolley scored 11 points and recorded five assists, while sophomore Mario Hill Jr. added 10 points and six assists.

Alabama State, which led 34-32 in a back-and-forth first half, were led by Tre Powell with 23 points.

The Grizzlies made 11 of 19 shots behind the 3-point line and shot 57 percent overall from the floor.
 
Coach's Corner
"I'm proud of our guys for coming into a hostile environment and beating an extremely well-coached team. The characteristics we showed tonight will bode well for us during the rest of the season," said Head Coach Chase Teichmann.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies made 8 of their 13 shots behind the 3-point arc during the second half. Back-to-back 3-pointers from sophomore Marc Chavenet gave the visitors a 55-53 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest. GGC would lead the rest of the way to record the victory.
 
Inside The Numbers

• The Grizzlies connected on 57.1 percent of their field goals attempts
• Sophomore Marc Chavenet led four double-figure scorers for GGC with 14 points
• GGC made 11 of its 19 (57.9 percent) 3-pointers on Monday
• The team had 13 assists in the contest

News & Notes

• GGC is 6-0 in 2026-27; Alabama State drops to 0-2 on the season
• Monday's game was considered an exhibition contest for the Grizzlies
• Georgia Gwinnett College played its first game against an NCAA Division I opponent in program history
• The Grizzlies are ranked No. 18 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll

Up Next
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Cumberland University (Tennessee) in the opening game of the GGC Classic on Friday, November 13, in the Convocation Center, starting at 7 p.m.