JerMontae Hill
Marques Bragg
69
Morehouse More 10-7,10-3 SIAC
78
Winner Howard HOW 12-8,2-2 MEAC
Morehouse More
10-7,10-3 SIAC
69
Final
78
Howard HOW
12-8,2-2 MEAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Morehouse More 34 35 69
Howard HOW 37 41 78

Game Recap: Basketball | | A.D. Drew | Athletic Marketing Manager

Maroon Tigers Battle in MLK Classic (Exhibition), Fall 78-69 to Howard in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | The Morehouse Maroon Tigers took their six-game winning streak on the road for the annual MLK Classic matchup against Howard on Monday afternoon, but fell 78-69 to the Bison at Burr Gymnasium. The contest was an exhibition and does not count toward either team's record or conference standings, as Morehouse remains 7-0 in the SIAC East Division and sits in first place.

First Half 

Howard set the tone early, opening the scoring with a layup and a quick finish to jump in front 4-0. The Maroon Tigers responded immediately with perimeter confidence, as Brandon Peters knocked down a three-pointer and Sincere Key followed with another triple to give Morehouse a 6-4 edge and ignite the visiting bench.

The pace stayed sharp as Morehouse continued to trade punches. JerMontae Hill attacked for a pull-up jumper, but Howard answered from deep to retake the lead. Jared White buried a three of his own, and a short jumper from Isaiah Jackson pushed Morehouse in front 13-9, its largest lead of the half.

Howard's physicality inside began to show as the Bison leaned into the paint and the glass. Back-to-back three-point makes from Howard trimmed the deficit, and a dunk by swung momentum completely. A Bison scored on consecutive possessions as Howard moved ahead 18-15, forcing Morehouse to keep pace possession-by-possession.

Morehouse answered with energy in the mid-half stretch, highlighted by a posterizing dunk from Hill and two free throws from Key that helped keep the game within a single trip. The Maroon Tigers continued to chip away, and White's aggressiveness paid off at the line as he converted two free throws to tie it at 23-23 with 8:16 remaining.

But Howard closed the half strong. A three and a burst of interior finishes gave the Bison the advantage, extending the margin to 32-25 before Morehouse steadied itself. White drilled a three to cut into the lead, Peters added another deep ball late, and Hill capped the final minute with a three-pointer to pull Morehouse within 37-34 at the break.

Second Half

Howard opened the second half with a statement. A score at the rim, and back-to-back dunks stretched the lead to 43-34, the Bison's largest cushion of the game. Peters stopped the run with a driving layup, but Howard stayed aggressive with another dunk to keep control of the tempo.

Morehouse didn't flinch. Hill began to power his way downhill, and the Maroon Tigers slowly clawed back into the game with stops and timely buckets. A three-pointer from Josiah Lawson, followed by free throws from Lawson and Hill, brought Morehouse all the way back. When Hill stepped to the stripe again and converted, the Maroon Tigers surged ahead 48-47 with 12:54 left — a 10-0 swing that flipped the game.

Howard responded quickly with a tip-in and then a series of poised possessions. The Bison regained the lead, then stretched it behind a pair of three-pointers that pushed Howard in front 61-54. Morehouse stayed connected with big perimeter shots of its own — including triples from Sincere Moore and Lawson — and another Hill emphatic dunk made it 67-62 with 5:34 to play.

Down the stretch, Howard's ability to get to the free throw line proved decisive. The Bison knocked down a string of late free throws in the final four minutes, building the margin back to two possessions. Morehouse continued to fight — Peters scored twice at the rim late to keep pressure on — but Howard sealed it with finishing strength inside and one final punch at the rim in the closing seconds to secure the 78-69 result.

Team Comparison

  • Field Goals: Morehouse 24-57 (42.1%) | Howard 29-67 (43.3%)
  • 3-Point Shooting: Morehouse 9-24 (37.5%) | Howard 5-23 (21.7%)
  • Free Throws: Morehouse 12-17 (70.6%) | Howard 15-26 (57.7%)
  • Rebounds: Howard 41 | Morehouse 28
  • Offensive Rebounds: Howard 17 | Morehouse 6
  • Assists: Howard 24 | Morehouse 10
  • Turnovers: Howard 6 | Morehouse 10
  • Points in the Paint: Howard 46 | Morehouse 24
  • Second-Chance Points: Howard 21 | Morehouse 9
  • Bench Points: Morehouse 27 | Howard 14

Statistical Leaders

Up Next

Morehouse now turns its attention back to SIAC play for the remainder of the season, returning home to Forbes Arena, where the Maroon Tigers will play seven of the next eight games. The home stretch begins on Thursday, January 22  against Albany State. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM, and the game will be streamed on the SIAC Network as the Maroon Tigers look to keep rolling in the SIAC East. 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.
 

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