WILBERFORCE, OH | Morehouse weathered a furious finish Saturday afternoon and escaped Beacom/Lewis Gym with a 65-63 SIAC cross-division win over Central State, protecting its spot atop the SIAC East entering the final week of the regular season. After spotting the Marauders an early eight-point edge, the Maroon Tigers steadied themselves, built a 20-point cushion in the second half, and then leaned on timely free throws and one last defensive stop to seal it.
First Half
Central State came out with energy, opening the scoring with a dunk at the 19:47 mark. Morehouse answered quickly when Sincere Moore buried a three (19:20), but the Marauders controlled the next stretch with interior finishes and second-chance points. CSU would string together a run that pushed the home side in front 13-5 by 12:42, forcing the Maroon Tigers to chase from behind.
Morehouse responded with a steady climb back into the game. Moore attacked the rim for a layup (11:47) and followed with a free throw (11:43), while JerMontae Hill added a jumper at 10:20 to trim the deficit. The Maroon Tigers' defense began to create extra possessions, and the comeback gained momentum behind buckets from Josiah Lawson and Caleb Thompson. Lawson hit a key three at 7:23 and then scored again inside at 6:23 as Morehouse continued to close the gap.
The tying moment arrived at 5:50 when Thompson finished a layup to make it 19-19, completing a 14-6 response after the early hole. From there, Morehouse seized control late in the half: Sincere Key knocked down a three at 4:42 to give the Maroon Tigers their first multi-possession lead, and Moore capped the surge with another triple at 0:56. Pryor's short jumper with three seconds left provided CSU's last points of the half, but Morehouse still carried a 27-23 advantage into the break.
Second Half
Morehouse wasted no time extending the lead after halftime. On the opening minute, Jared White picked up a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup (19:52), sparking an assertive start. Moore and Hill followed with strong finishes, and Brandon Peters added a layup as the Maroon Tigers stretched the margin to double digits.
Then Key caught fire. The senior guard drilled a three at 15:11, another at 12:43, and a third at 11:33 — the last one pushing the lead to its largest point of the day at 50-30. With Morehouse's bench providing a major lift and the defense converting turnovers into points, it looked like the Maroon Tigers were in full control.
Central State wasn't done, coming back with a barrage that included multiple jumpers, two timely threes, and repeated trips to the line. Over the next ten minutes, the Marauders chopped the deficit down possession by possession, turning a 20-point gap into a one-basket game. Still, even as the lead tightened, Morehouse never fully surrendered it by holding CSU at bay with tough rebounds and just enough scoring to stay in front.
In the final two minutes, Hill hit a free throw (1:52) and Moore calmly knocked down two more at 0:54. Peters followed with a pair at 0:33 to make it 65-59, but a frantic sequence at 0:26 gave Central State four points at the stripe to cut it to 65-63. Morehouse had a chance to ice it, but Hill missed two free throws with 17 seconds left to give the Marauders a final look. CSU's last attempt, a jumper in the closing seconds, came up empty, and Peters secured the rebound at the horn to finish the escape.
Team Comparison
- Field Goals: Morehouse 23-57 (40.4%) | CSU 21-54 (38.9%)
- 3-Pointers: Morehouse 8-24 | CSU 4-19
- Free Throws: Morehouse 11-20 | CSU 17-23
- Rebounds: Morehouse 40 | CSU 34 (Offensive: 15-11 Morehouse)
- Assists: Morehouse 11 | CSU 5
- Turnovers: Morehouse 15 | CSU 18
- Points off Turnovers: Morehouse 22 | CSU 11
- Bench Points: Morehouse 26 | CSU 2
- Fast Break Points: Morehouse 9 | CSU 2
Statistical Leaders
Up Next
Morehouse travels to Fort Valley State on Tuesday, Feb. 24, before wrapping the regular season Thursday, Feb. 26 with a make-up game vs. Spring Hill at Forbes Arena (7 p.m.). Admission will be free for Thursday's home finale. Both games will be streamed on the SIAC Network.
