CAU vs. Morehouse

"COLLEGE BASKETBALL: CLARK ATLANTA 60, MOREHOUSE 58: Panthers rally to edge rival

Tigers had won 14 of past 15 games in series

By Stan Awtrey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/01/08

Standing in the hallway of Forbes Arena, Clark Atlanta coach Darryl Jacobs could barely control his emotions. After being embraced by an enthusiastic supporter, Jacobs leaned against the concrete wall and tried to explain, with tears in his eyes, how his team managed to come away with a 60-58 victory over rival Morehouse.

""They make it so hard,"" Jacobs said. ""But when it all comes together, it‘s a beautiful thing.""

Clark Atlanta looked lost with 13 minutes left. The Panthers trailed by 21 points and were on the verge of being run out of the gym by their next-door neighbor and biggest rival. Then, ever so slightly, the momentum shifted. And after a 12-0 run, it became obvious that Clark Atlanta wasn‘t in a mood to quit.

""I told them, if they would keep their defense up, the offense would come,"" Jacobs said. ""I told them happiness begins when selfishness ends. We just needed to go out and play our game.""

Sparked by 6-foot-8 junior Garry Beverly, who brought intensity and an inside presence the Panthers lacked in the first half, and freshman guard Najee Lane, Clark Atlanta patiently trimmed the lead.

With 3:07 left, Lane drove the lane and converted a three-point play to tie the game at 55-55. Lane split the lane with another driving basket to put Clark Atlanta ahead 59-58 with 43 seconds left.

""I told him to run that play because when he turned the corner, there wouldn‘t be anybody there to stop him,"" Jacobs said. ""He made a great play.""

Beverly, who boosted enthusiasm with a strong second half, blocked one shot and got a piece of another to preserve the victory and set off a celebration that filled the court with revelers.

Lane finished with 13 points, as did strongman Ale Burt. Beverly added 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

The victory pulled Clark Atlanta‘s overall record even at 8-8, 7-4 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and ended a seven-game losing streak to Morehouse. It was the first home loss of the season for Morehouse (10-7, 7-6), which had beaten Clark Atlanta in 14 of their past 15 meetings.

Morehouse was led by big man Kenny Boyd, who scored 11 points and had 12 rebounds before fouling out with 3:19 remaining. Brenden Stoner added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Maroon Tigers.

""I hope this gives us some momentum,"" Jacobs said. ""It speaks volumes for what they can do. They showed a lot of heart. Even if we‘d lost, it was an effort we could be proud of."""