Tuskegee tops Morehouse 68-55 in HBCU Classic

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kusame Draper had 22 points and 15 rebounds to help Tuskegee University beat Morehouse College 68-55 in the HBCU Classic on Saturday.

Kevin Sesberry added 19 points and two steals as the Golden Tigers (11-12, 9-8 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) ended a three-game losing streak and held on to win in the match-up between the two Division II teams in the annual event that is a part of NBA All-Star Weekend.

Amahn Decker had 10 points and eight rebounds for Morehouse. The Maroon Tigers (13-11, 10-6) had won four of their previous five.

The game was played at the Oakland Arena, former home to the Golden State Warriors, about a 20-minute drive from the team's current home at Chase Center in San Francisco. The mood was festive all afternoon, with the crowd repeatedly breaking out into soulful singing and dancing.

The son of Martin Luther King Jr. was among those in attendance cheering, singing and shown on the big scoreboard above the court. The late civil rights activist attended Morehouse. Famed director Spike Lee sat neat the Morehouse bench.

Riding a three-game losing streak going into the game, Tuskegee overcame a sluggish start and led most of the first half despite missing 15 of its first 21 shots.

Sesberry paced the Airmen with 12 points, and Draper had four points as part of 9-0 run to end the first half, putting Tuskegee ahead 30-22 at the break.

The Golden Tigers led by 14 in the second half before coasting to the victory.

Key stat

Morehouse did a great job getting to the line but couldn't capitalize, missing 13 of its 21 attempts from the stripe.

Up next

Morehouse hosts Edward Waters on Tuesday, and Tuskegee plays at Central State.

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