MORROW, GA | For one night, the story belonged to Peters and Lawson — two players who played like they had something to prove, and made sure everybody noticed. Playing in the building Morehouse has dubbed Forbes Arena South, the Maroon Tigers looked every bit like the No. 1 seed from the SIAC East on Wednesday night. Brandon Peters poured in a game-high 20 points and Josiah Lawson added 17 off the bench as Morehouse knocked off Edward Waters, 72-62, in the SIAC Tournament quarterfinals at the Clayton County Convocation Center in Morrow, Georgia. Morehouse led 36-25 at halftime, never surrendered the lead after the opening minutes, and got the exact kind of statement performance it needed from two players who had been left out of the league's postseason honors.

First Half

Morehouse settled in quickly after the game's only tie at 2-2. JerMontae Hill opened the scoring at the line, Peters turned a defensive rebound into a three-point play in transition, and Jared White buried a three to push the Maroon Tigers in front 8-2. That early burst set the tone for the half and gave Morehouse control of the game.

When the starters rotated out, the Maroon Tigers' bench kept the pressure on. Caleb Thompson knocked down two free throws, Lawson came off the bench and scored inside for a 15-5 lead, and Peters later splashed a three after a Hill assist to keep Edward Waters from getting comfortable. Even when the Tigers trim the margin to single digits, Morehouse kept answering with timely baskets and free throws.

The closing stretch of the half belonged to the Maroon Tigers. Sincere Key hit a three off a Peters assist, Peters calmly went 5-for-5 from the line in the final 3:47, and Hill capped the half with a layup and a buzzer-beating three to send Morehouse into the locker room with a 36-25 advantage. It was the kind of composed finish tournament teams need, especially after Edward Waters had threatened to creep within one possession.

Second Half

Edward Waters scored first after the break, but Morehouse answered like a top seed. Peters knocked down a three, Key added another from deep, and Peters later converted at the stripe as the Maroon Tigers stretched the lead to 44-27. Lawson then added a layup to keep the cushion intact as Morehouse looked ready to blow it open.

Edward Waters refused to go away. A Tiger sparked a 9-0 push with a three and a dunk, followed by another player who converted in transition, and the Tigers cut the deficit to 46-36. That was when Lawson and Peters stepped back into the spotlight: Lawson split a trip to the line, scored on a layup, and then Peters finished inside after a Hill steal to push the lead back to 51-36.

Edward Waters made one more serious run midway through the half. A Tiger scored five quick points to trim it to 51-41, but Lawson answered with a huge three and later added another layup off an offensive rebound. Sincere Moore followed with a three-pointer of his own, and Lawson completed a three-point play at the 5:13 mark to put Morehouse back in command at 62-49.

Edward Waters still had one last punch left. Nelson scored on a breakaway dunk and a jumper to get the Tigers within 62-53, and later buried a three that cut the margin to 66-58 with 2:16 to play. But Morehouse never let the game slip. White answered with a pull-up jumper in the lane, Lawson made two free throws, Hill scored on a late layup, Peters sank two more from the line with 25 seconds left, and then Hill hammered home a final windmill dunk off a Peters assist to seal it.

Team Comparison

• Final Score: Morehouse 72, Edward Waters 62.
• Field Goals: Morehouse 21-of-52 (40.4%); Edward Waters 22-of-56 (39.3%).
• Three-Pointers: Morehouse 9-of-25; Edward Waters 5-of-13.
• Free Throws: Morehouse 21-of-24; Edward Waters 13-of-18.
• Rebounds: Morehouse 35, Edward Waters 33.
• Assists / Turnovers: Morehouse 12 assists, 20 turnovers; Edward Waters 11 assists, 17 turnovers.
• Bench Points: Morehouse 28, Edward Waters 20.

Morehouse Leaders

• Brandon Peters: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 10-for-10 at the foul line.
• Josiah Lawson: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 6-for-10 from the field, 4-for-5 at the line
• JerMontae Hill: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals.
• Jared White: 6 points, 2 assists, 2 steals.
• Sincere Key: 6 points off the bench
• Sincere Moore: 5 points, 2 steals, and a block.

Note

With the win, another snub, Head Coach Larry Dixon, becomes the third consecutive Maroon Tiger coach to win 20 or more games in his first season with Morehouse, joining Den of Honor Coach Grady Brewer '80 and Douglas Whittler '09. Whittler's 2021 team won the SIAC East before losing in the SIAC Tournament semifinals. Brewer's team won the SIAC (one division until 2013) and also lost in SIAC Tournament semifinals.

Up Next

Morehouse now waits to see whether it will face #2 West Miles or #3 East Savannah State in Friday's semifinal at 8 p.m.at Frobes Arena South. Thursday and Friday tournament games are listed at $20 per day for adults and $5 per day for students. The tournament is broadcast on ESPN+. 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.