ATLANTA, Ga. – The ninth-ranked Benedict College Tigers dropped their second game in a row, as Morehouse College held Benedict to a season-low 69 points in a 76-69 victory on Thursday night in SIAC men's basketball action.
 
In a battle for the top spot in the SIAC Eastern Division, the Maroon Tigers broke a tie score with five unanswered points in the final two minutes to pull out the victory.
 
Benedict falls to 13-2 overall on the season and 7-2 in the SIAC. Morehouse improves to 10-5 overall and 8-1 in the SIAC.
 
Benedict held Morehouse to 36.3 percent shooting, but the Maroon Tigers had a 39-29 rebounding advantage, including a 16-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. Both teams struggled from 3-point range. Benedict was 9-of-34 (26.5 percent), while Morehouse was 4-for-20 (20 percent).
 
The game was close the entire way. Morehouse had as much as an eight-point lead in the first half, but Benedict was able to cut the lead to 33-32 at the half.
 
In the second half, Benedict had its largest lead after a layup by Marshaun West gave the Tigers a 54-50 lead with 10:14 to play. Benedict had a 59-58 lead with 7:09 to play after a 3-pointer by Brandon Beidleman, but Morehouse scored the next seven points. Benedict scored the next six points to tie the contest at 65 after a pair of dunks by Asanti Price and a layup by Tim Moore.
 
Price led Benedict with 19 points, while Moore added 18 points. West chipped in 12 points.
 
The Tigers return home for their first game since mid-December with a SIAC contest against Albany State at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena. The Fort Valley State contest, originally scheduled for Monday night, has been rescheduled to Monday, Feb. 19. The women's game on Monday against Fort Valley State is still on schedule for 5:30 p.m.