DAVIE, FL | No. 8 Morehouse saw its season come to a close Saturday evening, falling 94-60 to No. 1 Nova Southeastern in the opening round of the NCAA South Regional at Rick Case Arena. The SIAC Tournament champion Maroon Tigers showed early fight and even grabbed a pair of first-half leads, but Nova Southeastern's relentless pressure, dominance on the glass, and steady interior scoring gradually took control of the game. The Sharks finished with a 51-32 rebounding edge, forced 20 Morehouse turnovers, and turned those extra possessions into a 24-3 advantage in points off turnovers.

First Half

Morehouse settled in after Nova scored the game's first four points. Jared White knocked down a three to get the Maroon Tigers on the board, Sincere Moore added a jumper, and Brandon Peters buried a three-pointer at the 16:26 mark to give Morehouse its first lead at 8-7. A little later, Josiah Lawson splashed a three in transition for an 11-9 advantage, and Logan McCormick followed with a free throw to put Morehouse back in front, 12-11, with 12:11 remaining in the half.

That stretch turned out to be the high-water mark for Morehouse. Nova answered with a decisive surge, using second-chance opportunities and live-ball turnovers to build momentum. Ryan Davis, Dallas Graziani, and Bennett Kayser all contributed during a 12-0 run that flipped a 12-11 Morehouse lead into a 23-12 Nova advantage by the 8:52 mark. The Maroon Tigers kept battling, getting a Lawson layup, a Moore three, and several strong finishes from McCormick to trim the margin to 30-23 with five minutes left in the half.

But Nova closed the period with another push. Eli Allen and Ross Reeves scored in the lane, Kayser added a tip-in, and the Sharks finished the half up 44-29. Morehouse was still within striking distance, but the turnover count had climbed to 12 by halftime and Nova had already collected nine offensive rebounds, both signs of the pressure the Sharks were applying on every possession.

Second Half

Any hopes of an early Morehouse rally were quickly challenged by Nova's opening burst after the break. Allen drilled a three on the Sharks' first scoring possession of the half, Jaxon Nap scored inside, and Allen connected again from deep to cap an 8-0 start that stretched the lead to 52-29. Lawson finally stopped the run with a layup, and Moore tried to keep the Maroon Tigers within reach with a layup and a three-pointer, but each small push was met immediately by Nova on the other end.

Graziani remained in control of the tempo for the Sharks, while Nap, Allen, and Bobby Rosenberger continued to attack the paint. Nova pushed the margin to 65-38 on a Graziani three, then built it to 73-41 with 10:56 remaining behind back-to-back scores from Reeves and another finish by Nap. JerMontae Hill, McCormick, Peters, and White all supplied buckets for Morehouse in the second half, but the Maroon Tigers could never get the deficit under 21 after intermission.

Late in the game, Morehouse continued to compete even with the outcome largely decided. White hit a three and later made two free throws, McCormick added another basket inside, and Tre Lockett knocked down a pair of late three-pointers to account for the final margin. Nova, though, never let the game swing back, closing out the 94-60 win behind balanced scoring and a constant edge in transition and at the rim.

Team Comparison

• Field goals: Nova Southeastern 41-of-85 (48.2%); Morehouse 21-of-56 (37.5%).
• Three-pointers: Morehouse 8-of-25; Nova Southeastern 5-of-19.
• Free throws: Morehouse 10-of-16; Nova Southeastern 7-of-12.
• Rebounds: Nova Southeastern 51; Morehouse 32.
• Offensive rebounds: Nova Southeastern 21; Morehouse 8.
• Turnovers: Morehouse 20; Nova Southeastern 8.
• Points in the paint: Nova Southeastern 62; Morehouse 24.
• Points off turnovers: Nova Southeastern 24; Morehouse 3.
• Bench points: Morehouse 31; Nova Southeastern 30.

Morehouse Leaders

• Logan McCormick: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block; shot 6-of-7 from the field.
• Sincere Moore: 14 points and 5 rebounds.
• Josiah Lawson: 9 points.
• Jared White: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists.
• Tre Lockett: 6 points on two three-pointers.
• Brandon Peters: 5 points and a team-high 4 assists.
• JerMontae Hill: 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal.

Morehouse's NCAA Tournament return ends in the opening round, the Maroon Tigers' first regional appearance since 2018. Still, the loss does little to erase what was a memorable season for Morehouse, which captured the SIAC East Division and SIAC Tournament championship, finishing 22-10 (19-5 SIAC). 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.