Fresh off the SIAC Tournament championship, No. 8 seed Morehouse heads to Fort Lauderdale for a first-round NCAA Division II South Regional matchup against No. 1 seed and host Nova Southeastern on Saturday at Rick Case Arena. The Sharks enter 27-1, are unbeaten at home at 18-0, and sit atop the national rankings, while the Maroon Tigers arrive at 22-9 after cutting down the nets in the SIAC tournament.

Media Information

Game: #8 Morehouse vs. #1 Nova Southeastern
Time: 5PM ET
Location: Rick Case Arena
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Last time out

Morehouse

The Maroon Tigers beat Tuskegee 66-56 in the SIAC Tournament championship game. Josiah Lawson led Morehouse with 17 points off the bench, while Sincere Moore added 11 and JerMontae Hill chipped in 10. Morehouse shot 48.0 percent from the floor and held Tuskegee to 35.8 percent overall and 23.8 percent from three.

Nova Southeastern

The Sharks won the Sunshine State Conference title with a 92-85 overtime victory over Palm Beach Atlantic. Ross Reeves scored 29, Dallas Graziani had 23 points and 9 assists, and Ryan Davis added 20. Nova forced 23 turnovers and turned them into 33 points.

Summary of conference tournament play

Morehouse in the SIAC Tournament

• def. Edward Waters, 72-62
• def. Miles, 71-56
• def. Tuskegee, 66-56

Morehouse won three straight tournament games by leaning on defense, allowing only 58.0 points per game across the run. The Maroon Tigers also enter the regional on an eight-game winning streak.

Nova Southeastern in the SSC Tournament

• def. Rollins, 104-91
• def. Barry, 94-77
• def. Palm Beach Atlantic, 92-85 (OT)

Nova averaged 96.7 points per game in its conference tournament run and has won 21 straight games overall.

Coaches

Morehouse — Larry Dixon

Dixon is in his first season as Morehouse head coach after being hired in May 2025, and he has already guided the Maroon Tigers to the SIAC Tournament title and an NCAA tournament berth.

Nova Southeastern — Jim Crutchfield

Crutchfield is in his eighth season leading the Sharks in 2025-26. Nova again enters March among the elite programs in Division II, this time as the South Regional host and No. 1 team in the country.

Players to watch

Morehouse

1. Sincere Moore, G — 13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 39.2% from three, 87.2% at the line, 57 steals. Moore gives Morehouse perimeter shot-making and on-ball pressure.
2. Josiah Lawson, F — 13.6 ppg on 49.3% shooting and 36.8% from three. Lawson's microwave scoring has been huge, including 17 in the SIAC title game.
3. Brandon Peters, G — 11.3 ppg, 85 assists, 48 made threes, 44 steals. Peters is Morehouse's best table-setter and one of its top floor spacers.
4. JerMontae Hill, F — 11.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 37 steals. Hill's rebounding and interior toughness are critical against Nova's size and tempo.

Nova Southeastern

1. Ross Reeves, G — 23.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 86 assists, 61 steals. Reeves is the headliner and one of the top scorers in Division II.
2. Dallas Graziani, G — 20.1 ppg, 185 assists, 65 steals. He drives Nova's offense and just posted 23 points and 9 assists in the SSC title game.
3. Jaxon Nap, F — 13.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg. Nap gives Nova balance on the glass and in the paint.
4. Ryan Davis, G — 10.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 52.9% from three. He is a dangerous complementary scorer who can flip a game with his spacing.

Keys to victory

For Morehouse

• Control the pace. Nova averages 101.2 points per game. Morehouse does not want this turning into a full-speed, 90-possession game.
• Limit live-ball turnovers. Nova forces 19.5 turnovers per game and scored 33 points off turnovers in its last outing. Morehouse has to value every possession.
• Gang rebound. Nova is +5.0 per game on the glass; Morehouse is -2.7. Hill, Lawson, Moore, and the frontcourt must finish possessions.
• Win the three-point moments. Morehouse averages 8.3 made threes and has multiple capable perimeter scorers. To pull the upset, the Maroon Tigers likely need efficient nights from Moore, Peters, Lawson, and Key.

For Nova Southeastern

• Play through its backcourt. Reeves and Graziani combine for 43.5 points per game and are the engine of one of the nation's best offenses.
• Keep the ball moving. Nova averages 19.6 assists per game and owns a 2.1 assist-turnover ratio; when the Sharks share it, they are hard to guard.
• Turn defense into offense. Nova's 12.0 steals per game and turnover margin of +10.2 are massive. The Sharks are at their best when they convert pressure into transition points.

Team Comparison

Morehouse

• Record: 22-9
• Points per game: 73.9
• Points allowed per game: 67.3
• FG%: .440
• 3FG%: .351
• FT%: .720
• Rebounds per game: 33.0
• Assists per game: 12.6
• Turnovers per game: 12.6
• Steals per game: 9.5

Nova Southeastern

• Record: 27-1
• Points per game: 101.2
• Points allowed per game: 77.6
• FG%: .494
• 3FG%: .372
• FT%: .731
• Rebounds per game: 42.5
• Assists per game: 19.6
• Turnovers per game: 9.4
• Steals per game: 12.0

Top Individual Leaders

Morehouse

• Scoring: Sincere Moore 13.9, Josiah Lawson 13.6, Brandon Peters 11.3, JerMontae Hill 11.1
• Rebounding: JerMontae Hill 6.8, Logan McCormick 6.2, Brandon Peters 4.1, Sincere Moore 4.2
• Assists: Brandon Peters 85, Jared White 55, JerMontae Hill 50, Sincere Moore 46
• Steals: Sincere Moore 57, Brandon Peters 44, JerMontae Hill 37, Josiah Lawson 31

Nova Southeastern

• Scoring: Ross Reeves 23.4, Dallas Graziani 20.1, Jaxon Nap 13.8, Ryan Davis 10.7
• Rebounding: Jaxon Nap 8.4, Ryan Davis 5.9, Ross Reeves 4.9, Eli Allen 4.2
• Assists: Dallas Graziani 185, Ross Reeves 86, Jaxon Nap 78, Eli Allen 52
• Steals: Dallas Graziani 65, Ross Reeves 61, Eli Allen 50, Bobby Rosenberger III 36

Common opponents

The two common opponents on the schedules:

• Embry-Riddle: Morehouse lost 73-67 on Nov. 15, while Nova beat Embry-Riddle twice, 96-81 and 98-92.
• Palm Beach Atlantic: Morehouse lost 78-77 on Nov. 16. Nova lost 88-83 on the road in December, then beat PBA 103-82 in January and 92-85 in overtime for the SSC title.

What this game looks like

On paper, the contrast is obvious: Morehouse wins with discipline, defense, shot-making, and timely guard play, while Nova overwhelms teams with pace, spacing, ball movement, and turnover creation. The Maroon Tigers have shown they can win rugged games in the 60s, but the upset path probably requires keeping Nova below its normal offensive rhythm, surviving the Sharks' pressure, and getting a big combined night from Moore, Lawson, Peters, and Hill. 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.