ATLANTA, GA | Morehouse opened its season with a commanding 96–80 win over Talladega, seizing control late in the first half and never letting the Tornadoes get within striking distance after the break.

First half

Morehouse's pressure and shot-making created the first real separation before halftime. A Sincere Moore fast-break jumper at 8:42 stretched the margin to 28–19, the first sign the Tigers were ready to run. In the final minute, Moore buried a three at 00:55 and Logan McCormick beat the horn with a tip-in with 00:10 to go for a 46–34 lead at the break. Morehouse built its 46–34 halftime lead on ruthless efficiency and pressure defense. The Maroon Tigers shot 16-for-28 (.571) from the floor and 5-for-11 (.455) from three, adding 9-of-14 at the line. The defense was hyper-active: 9 steals and 4 blocks before the break helped generate 18 first-half points off turnovers, plus a 6–0 fast-break edge. Talladega stayed in contact by pounding the glass—11 offensive rebounds before halftime—translating to 10 second-chance points and matching Morehouse's 14 points in the paint, but the Tornadoes saw too many empty trips thanks to turnovers and couldn't fully cash in at the stripe.

Second half

Talladega landed a few jabs—most notably Tre Simmons's shot-making—but Morehouse answered each surge with clean possessions. A Talladega technical at 7:59 yielded two Moore free throws, and after a Simmons three, Brandon Peters splashed a trey at 7:25 and McCormick scored at 6:49 to restore comfort. The knockout stretch came at 5:41–4:45: Moore split FTs, stole the inbounds and went coast-to-coast, then Josiah Lawson drilled a three for 88–67. After the break, Morehouse's offense actually ticked up: 17-for-28 (.607) from the field and 5-for-11 (.455) from deep, with 11-for-14 (.786) at the line. The shot-making was balanced by purposeful paint touches—20 second-half paint points—and timely bench production (15 after halftime). Talladega made its best push with more conversion off miscues (14 second-half points off turnovers) and continued to live on extra possessions (9 second-chance points), but the Maroon Tigers answered each surge with high-value looks and late-clock execution to keep the margin comfortable.

Team comparison

Over 40 minutes, Morehouse owned the shooting battle—33-for-56 (.589) overall and 10-for-22 (.455) from three—while Talladega finished 25-for-59 (.424) and 9-for-23 (.391) from deep. At the stripe, the Maroon Tigers were markedly more efficient (20-for-28, .714) than the Tornadoes (21-for-38, .553). Talladega won the glass 39–30 with a massive 21 offensive boards that powered a 19–9 edge in second-chance points, but Morehouse offset that with a 34–22 advantage in paint scoring and a 12–3 fast-break edge. Turnovers were virtually a wash on the scoreboard (21–21 points off giveaways), yet Morehouse's activity shined (team 12 steals to Talladega's 6, and 4–1 in blocks) alongside a modest assist edge (11–8) that reflected the hosts' cleaner shot quality.

Statistical leaders

Morehouse

• Sincere Moore — 32 pts, 12-18 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6 reb, 4 stl, 3 blk
• Logan McCormick — 10 pts, 4 reb, 1 blk
• Josiah Lawson — 10 pts, 2 stl
• Brandon Peters — 8 pts, 4 ast, 2 stl
• Donavin Williams — 8 pts, 8 reb

Talladega's volume of extra possessions kept the box score noisy, but Morehouse's shot quality, turnover pressure, and timely threes turned the night into a comfortable opener. With Moore starring on both ends and bench pieces cashing in momentum runs, the Tigers' 59% shooting and transition edge were too much to overcome. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com or Maroon Tiger basketball on Instagram @morehousebasketball.