WASHINGTON, D.C. | The Morehouse Maroon Tigers achieved a historic 79-76 upset victory over the Howard Bison on January 20, 2025, in front of over 2600 people at Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C. The capacity crown saw a thrilling non-conference road-win for Morehouse and marked the Maroon Tigers first victory over an NCAA Division I opponent since defeating Howard in a home-and-home series in 1996 and 1997.

FIRST HALF

The Morehouse Maroon Tigers came out with energy and precision in the first half, executing a sharp game plan that stifled the Howard Bison while capitalizing on offensive opportunities. The Maroon Tigers' aggressive defense and hot shooting quickly set the tone in Burr Gymnasium.

Sophomore guard Sincere Key ignited the Morehouse offense early, knocking down two quick three-pointers within the first four minutes. His shooting created space for the Maroon Tigers to exploit the Bison's perimeter defense. Cedric Taylor III followed with another deep three off an assist from JerMontae Hill, giving Morehouse an early edge.
 

On the defensive side, Morehouse disrupted Howard's rhythm with high-pressure man-to-man coverage. Forward Amahn Decker and Taylor III were pivotal in contesting shots in the paint and boxing out for defensive rebounds. Morehouse forced seven Howard turnovers in the first half, converting them into 12 points on fast breaks. A key play came midway through the half when Taylor III picked off a lazy pass from Howard's Blake Harper and finished with a layup in transition, energizing the Maroon Tigers' bench and fans.

Morehouse's ability to push the ball in transition played a critical role. Following a defensive rebound by Hill, Jaden Gray sprinted ahead of the pack to finish a fast-break layup, putting Morehouse up by seven. Moments later, Omar Rowe brought the crowd to its feet with a thunderous dunk off an alley oop from Hill, stretching the lead to double digits.

The Maroon Tigers' three-point shooting was a highlight of the half. Jaden Gray, who led the first-half scoring with 11 points, buried three shots from beyond the arc, each one deflating Howard's attempts to rally. Taylor III added two more threes, including a buzzer-beater from the left wing to close the half, capping a 7-0 run by Morehouse.

During the first half, Morehouse hit 8 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc (57%), keeping Howard's defense on its heels.  The Maroon Tigers forced seven turnovers while committing only four. Morehouse grabbed 20 total rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, allowing second-chance opportunities. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Morehouse had built a commanding 40-28 lead. Their combination of stifling defense, efficient shooting, and dominance in transition had the Division II squad in control against their Division I opponent. 

SECOND HALF

The second half of Morehouse's 79-76 upset over Howard saw the Maroon Tigers weathering a ferocious rally by the Bison while delivering clutch plays in the final moments to secure the historic victory.

Howard came out of the locker room with renewed intensity. The Bison used a 12-2 run in the first five minutes to cut Morehouse's lead to two, capitalizing on a pair of missed shots and turnovers by the Maroon Tigers. The Bison drained a contested three-pointers to electrify the home crowd and shift momentum toward Howard.

The Maroon Tigers refused to buckle under pressure. Sincere Key stemmed the tide with a deep three-pointer, pushing the lead back to five. Moments later, Jaden Gray sank another three, silencing the crowd and stabilizing Morehouse's offense. Defensively, Amahn Decker and Cedric Taylor III provided crucial stops in the paint, denying Howard easy baskets and forcing contested shots.

With Morehouse trailing by 71-69 with less than three-minutes remaining, JerMontae Hill would be fouled but miss the one-and-one.  Amahn Decker would grab the offensive rebound and make the basket while being fouled.  Decker would miss the free throw, leaving the score tied at 71-71, with 2:43 remaining.  Howard would miss a jump shot on the ensuing possession but Morehouse, with an opportunity to take the lead, would turn the ball over.  The Bison would convert on the fast break, with a dunk, to retake the lead.  With ice water in his veins, Cedric Taylor III would sink a three-pointer, from 25 feet out, to give the Maroon Tigers the lead. After the Bison would miss on a three-point attempt, Jaden Gray would sink another three-pointer for the visitors, to extend the Maroon Tiger lead to 77-73.  With 1:02 left, Howard would answer with a shot from behind the arc and call a timeout, with the score 77-76, in favor of Morehouse.

Morehouse would run the shot clock down and miss the attempt, opening the door for the Bison.  Howard had two chances to tie the game in the final 30 seconds.  Howard, however, would miss a shot from the paint, and Morehouse would secure the rebound, forcing the Bison to foul Jaden Gray.  Gray would sink both free throws with 9.0 seconds remaining in the game, to increase the lead to 79-76.  Howard would come down and look for a shot, but Morehouse would deflect the ball out-of-bounds, in front of the Howard bench, with 4.7 second remaining.  Howard would get off a potential game-tying three-point shot, but the attempt would hit the front of the rim, and the horn would go off before either team could secure the rebound.  The crowd would be quieted as Morehouse would walk out of Burr Gymnasium with a 79-76 victory.

Team Comparison

• Field Goals: Morehouse 41.8% (28/67), Howard 39.7% (25/63)

  

• Three-Point Shooting: Morehouse 44.1% (15/34), Howard 25.7% (9/35)
• Turnovers: Both teams committed 12, but Morehouse capitalized with 13 points off turnovers.
• Rebounds: Howard 43, Morehouse 39

Key Performers

• Jaden Gray: Led all scorers with a career high 22 points (4/7 3PT), adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
• Cedric Taylor III: Contributed 17 points (4/8 3PT) and 7 rebounds while playing stout defense.
• Sincere Key: Added 15 points (5/10 3PT), energizing the Tigers with timely buckets.
• Amahn Decker: Anchored the paint with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and critical defensive plays

This historic win improves Morehouse's record to 9-8 on the season and boosts their confidence as they prepare for the remainder of their SIAC schedule.  The Maroon Tigers look to continue the momentum of executing under pressure and making critical plays in the clutch to earn their first win over an NCAA Division I school in nearly three decades into SIAC play to conclude the conference season.  The Maroon Tigers will be at home against Fort Valley State on Saturday for Alumni Day.  Fans are asked to wear maroon and the game tips off at 1PM.  The Maroon Tigers will follow up with another contest next Monday, in Forbes Arena, against Albany State, for Rep Your Dorm Night.  Fans are asked to wear white and the contest tips off at 7PM.  Both games will be shown on the Maroon Tigers Sports Network.  Advanced tickets, for both games,are available here. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com.