ATLANTA, GA | Down as many as 16 in the first half, the Morehouse Maroon Tigers flipped the script with a lockdown final 20 minutes and a clutch closing sequence to beat the Clark Atlanta Panthers, 78-74, on Saturday afternoon at Forbes Arena. Morehouse, which entered the Big Cat Hardwood Classic in second place in the SIAC East and a half-game behind CAU, leaned on timely shooting, poise at the free-throw line, and a game-sealing bucket in the final seconds to earn its fourth consecutive win over the Panthers.
First Half
Clark Atlanta set the tone early with pace and perimeter pressure, ripping off the game's first nine points to jump ahead 9-0 by the 16:00 mark. Morehouse finally found daylight when Sincere Key drilled a three to get the Maroon Tigers on the board (9-3), but the Panthers continued to come in waves—mixing paint attacks with quick-trigger threes to keep Morehouse chasing.
Key answered again from deep (11-6), and Josiah Lawson steadied things at the stripe to trim the margin to three (11-8). Each time Morehouse threatened, CAU responded with a big shot—another three, another push in transition, another possession that ended with points.
Midway through the half, the Panthers' outside shooting heated up, stretching the lead to double digits (22-11) and then ballooning it to 31-16 after back-to-back threes. When Jared White splashed a three to cut it (31-19), CAU countered again, eventually extending the gap to its largest at 39-23 with 5:39 remaining.
That's when Morehouse began to chip away. JerMontae Hill and Key produced points at the line, Hill added a strong finish, and Lawson buried a three late (0:46) as the Maroon Tigers closed the half with renewed energy. The surge cut a 16-point hole down to eight by the break, 44-36.
Second Half
Morehouse came out of the locker room firing with Hill knocking down a three in the opening minute, Sincere Moore following with another, and Lawson splashing a third to pull the Maroon Tigers all the way even at 45-45 with 17:48 to play.
CAU answered with a quick three and regained control, but Morehouse kept swinging. Brandon Peters scored inside, Lawson attacked gaps for a pull-up, and White finished in the paint to keep the Panthers within striking distance. Still, Clark Atlanta landed another series of threes and built the lead back to 10 (66-56) at the 10:39 mark.
From there, the game turned on defense and discipline. Morehouse strung together stop after stop and began grinding back with smart possessions as Moore hit a jumper, Lawson converted a layup, and Moore cashed multiple free throws as the Maroon Tigers pieced together a 10-0 response to tie it at 66-66 on a Lawson jumper with 5:51 left.
The final minutes were a full-on classic. After the teams traded blows, Peters hit a jumper to tie it again (69-69), and Lawson delivered the moment Morehouse had been hunting all day by burying a three with 2:40 remaining to give the Maroon Tigers their first lead of the afternoon, 73-71.
Clark Atlanta briefly nudged back in front (74-73), but Lawson answered at the line to reclaim the edge. White added a free throw in the final minute to make it 76-74, and after a defensive stand, Moore delivered the dagger by knocking down a late, contested, jumper with five seconds left to push it to 78-74. CAU's final three-point attempt at the horn came up empty, and Forbes Arena erupted.
Team Comparison
- Field Goals: Morehouse 23-46 (50.0%) | Clark Atlanta 25-62 (40.3%)
- 3-Pointers: Morehouse 11-24 (45.8%) | Clark Atlanta 13-32 (40.6%)
- Free Throws: Morehouse 21-29 | Clark Atlanta 11-14
- Rebounds: Clark Atlanta 34 | Morehouse 28
- Assists: Clark Atlanta 17 | Morehouse 15
- Turnovers: Morehouse 12 | Clark Atlanta 9
- Points Off Turnovers: Clark Atlanta 16 | Morehouse 12
- Fast Break Points: Morehouse 11 | Clark Atlanta 7
- Bench Points: Clark Atlanta 45 | Morehouse 37
- Second-Chance Points: Tied, 7-7
Morehouse Statistical Leaders
Up Next
With the Big Cat Hardwood Classic secured and a fourth straight win over Clark Atlanta in the books, the Maroon Tigers now close the regular season with three straight road tests: at Kentucky State on Thursday (Feb. 19), at Central State on Saturday (Feb. 21), and at Fort Valley State on Tuesday, Feb. 24. All three contests will be streamed on the SIAC Network. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com.
