MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Morehouse built a commanding first-half lead and survived a furious second-half surge from LeMoyne-Owen on Thursday evening, edging the Magicians 60–56 at Bruce Hall/Johnson Gymnasium. The win lifts the Maroon Tigers to 3–4 overall and 3–2 in SIAC play, snapping back from recent road struggles with a poised, wire-to-wire performance.
FIRST HALF: MOREHOUSE SETS THE TONE EARLY
Morehouse opened the game with energy, ball movement, and defensive intensity, racing out to a 21–3 advantage before the midway point of the first half. Sincere Key got the Maroon Tigers rolling with an early three-pointer, while Logan McCormick finished a transition dunk that set the tone for the Tigers' fast-break pressure.
The Maroon Tigers' defense dictated the pace, forcing 10 LeMoyne-Owen turnovers in the period and turning those mistakes into seven points off giveaways and eight second-chance points. Brandon Peters drilled a three, Key added another from deep, and JerMontae Hill knocked down midrange shots to extend the lead.
Morehouse's quicker hands and stronger rebounding produced a 19–13 advantage on the glass. Even when the Tigers' shooting cooled late in the half, they held momentum with key stops and a late jumper by Jared White, closing the period ahead 30–16.
SECOND HALF: MAGICIANS RALLY, MAROON TIGERS RESPOND
LeMoyne-Owen stormed out of halftime determined to erase the deficit. Kyle Houston opened with a three, and leading scorer LaDricus Pittman carried the Magicians with 21 points, including multiple threes and downhill drives.
The Magicians outscored Morehouse 40–30 in the half, finding their rhythm from the perimeter (8 made threes) and trimming the deficit to single digits with under seven minutes to play. Each time the Magicians threatened, Morehouse countered: Peters knocked down a timely three, McCormick converted inside, and Key added another deep jumper to keep the Maroon Tigers in control.
Turnovers briefly stalled Morehouse's offense, but disciplined free-throw shooting (6-of-9 in the half) and steady half-court defense sealed the win. Despite LeMoyne-Owen's late push, the Maroon Tigers never surrendered the lead at any point in the game.
TEAM COMPARISON
- Field Goals: Morehouse 20-49 (41%) | LeMoyne-Owen 19-51 (37%)
- Three-Pointers: Morehouse 8-25 (32%) | LeMoyne-Owen 10-27 (37%)
- Free Throws: Morehouse 12-20 | LeMoyne-Owen 8-8
- Rebounds: Morehouse 30 | LeMoyne-Owen 28
- Turnovers: Morehouse 16 | LeMoyne-Owen 20
- Points off Turnovers: Morehouse 21 | LeMoyne-Owen 9
- Fast-Break Points: Morehouse 10 | LeMoyne-Owen 3
- Points in the Paint: Tied 16–16
MOREHOUSE STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Brandon Peters: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-7 from three
- Sincere Key: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 made threes, 2 steals
- JerMontae Hill: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
- Logan McCormick: 8 points, 7 rebounds
- Robert Brazelton: 4 assists, 4 rebounds
- Jared White: 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Morehouse's combination of early control and late composure proved enough to secure a hard-fought SIAC road win. The Maroon Tigers withstood a 40-point second half from the Magicians by leaning on defense, rebounding, and timely shooting. With the victory, Morehouse gains momentum as it continues a challenging stretch of early-season conference play. The Maroon Tigers will look to build on Thursday's performance as they travel to Jackson, TN for face Lane College on Saturday.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.