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Tough Love for the Maroon Tigers on Founder’s Day Weekend

Khari M. Griffin, Contributing Writer

On the afternoon following Valentine’s Day, the Morehouse Maroon Tigers struggled finding love inside of L.S. Epps Gymnasium. Three weeks after a five-point loss to the Maroon Tigers, the Clark Atlanta men’s basketball team had completely different plans for Morehouse on the Tigers’ Founder’s Day weekend.

 Despite a slow start from both teams after several missed layups on both sides, the Panthers quickly turned a highly-anticipated rival game into a complete beat down. After dominating the boards all game, the Clark Atlanta Panthers bullied the Maroon Tigers in a 72-46 win. 

Three Panthers were particularly key in this dominance. Romaine Thomas, a 6-foot-9-inch senior forward from “Boogey down” Bronx, N.Y., had a double-double with 17 rebounds and 13 points. His presence was most felt on the offensive side, as Thomas capitalized on both offensive rebounds and vital put backs. 

Colin Bell, a 6-foot-10-inch senior center from Los Angeles, also made his presence felt in the paint. Totaling seven rebounds and 12 points, Bell had an impactful performance. Throughout the second half, Bell energized the Clark crowd by dominating down low. After his first put back, Bell turned to the crowd and flexed his muscles. 

Shannon Smith, a 6-foot-1 senior guard out of New Canaan, CT, also had himself a day. Leading the team with 18 points, Smith got it done on the perimeter all game long. Shooting 66% from the 3-point line, Smith kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. A buzzer beater 3-pointer from Smith at the end of the first half sent the gymnasium in a complete frenzy. 

Despite a lukewarm performance from the Maroon Tigers, the 6-foot senior guard Jarius Adley had a notable late game performance off of the bench. Immediately after checking into the game early in the second half, Adley made an electrifying steal and took it to the hole for a nice finish; something the Maroon Tigers struggled to do all game. However, this was not enough to repair the damage that had already been done. 

The now 10-11 Maroon Tigers will return across the street tomorrow to face a struggling 6-18 Fort Valley team. Hopefully, this dose of tough love will rejuvenate them to a much-needed win against their conference opponent.

Comments (1)

  • Doesn’t need to know

    Phenomenal writing

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