The Maroon Tigers held off a late Tuskegee Golden Tigers push to secure a 77–69 victory Saturday afternoon inside Frank L. Forbes Arena, extending its winning streak to nine games in a high-energy matchup that doubled as a celebration of the program’s Den of Honor Class.
Morehouse set the tone early behind hot shooting from junior guard Sincere Moore, who knocked down two early 3-pointers to spark an 8–2 run. Tuskegee responded and briefly took a 20–19 lead midway through the first half, but the Maroon Tigers flipped the momentum with a decisive 15–2 run that included four straight 3s, capped by an and-one from Moore. That surge pushed Morehouse in front 34–22 before Tuskegee steadied itself late, trimming the deficit to 36–31 by halftime.
The Golden Tigers controlled the offensive glass early, grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the first half while Morehouse did not record one, keeping the visitors within striking distance despite the Maroon Tigers’ perimeter shooting. Tuskegee guard, RJ Walker, led the way with 10 first-half points, while Moore, who ended the game with 24 points and senior forward, JerMontae Hill, 19 points, paced Morehouse with efficient scoring that helped neutralize Tuskegee’s rebounding edge.
Morehouse came out of the locker room with purpose, as Moore opened the second half with another 3 to stretch the lead to 39–31. The pace slowed as both teams traded stops, but the Maroon Tigers maintained control by getting out in transition and knocking down timely shots. With four minutes left, Morehouse led 62–55 before delivering the knockout punch, going on a pivotal seven-point run that pushed the margin to 69–57 with under two minutes to play. Strong free-throw shooting allowed the Tigers to keep the Golden Tigers at bay, closing out the win as Tuskegee tried to make one final push.
“Tough, tough win but our fans were unbelievable; shoutout the D9 and students because it was a great atmosphere,” Coach Larry Dixon said after the game. “I have seen improvement in our guys, and we just have to keep getting better.” A packed house and a loud D9 presence created one of the season’s best atmospheres as the Maroon Tigers continued their strong run through conference play.
The game ended in chaos as Tuskegee’s Head Coach Benjy Taylor and a police officer shared a brief exchange, which further led to the officer grabbing his handcuffs from his belt and putting them on Taylor. This quickly led to escalation as players from Tuskegee began to scuffle with members of Morehouse’s football program on the court. With video appearing online, many are questioned as to why the coach was put in cuffs to begin with.
Nevertheless, a statement win for Morehouse as it continues to build momentum as the team is looking to extend their winning streak to 10 games as they face Kentucky State at 7 p.m. in Forbes Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
