February 3, 2007 – ATLANTA – In one of those coulda, woulda, shoulda games that went down to the wire, the Maroon Tigers fell 59-56 to the Albany State Golden Rams.

Morehouse led most of the game, including by 13 points in the first half, but the Golden Rams closed the gap to 31-27 by halftime and took the lead when it counted – at the end game.

The game came down to free throws and turnovers. Morehouse lost both those battles – turning the ball over 21 times, compared to 12 for their down state rivals. The Maroon Tiger went to the charity stripe 11 times and hit seven, but the Golden Rams hit 13-of-27.

It didn’t help the Maroon Tigers that center James Beasley and forward Kwame Agbottah – the team’s top rebounders – each picked up a fourth foul early in the second half. Relegated to the bench, the pair finished with seven rebounds between them, before fouling out.

Jason Patterson, who played only 15 minutes – all in the second half – led the Maroon Tigers in scoring with 15 points, on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and two free throws.

Marlon Ferguson turned in another solid game, with six points, a team-high 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal.

Jason Reese also had a solid game, recording five points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. But his overall game was spoiled by two missed free throws and a turnover in the game’s final minute.

Travon McGruder got the job done for Albany State, with game highs in points (16) and rebounds (13). Two other Golden Rams scored in double figures and helped improve the Albany State record to 9-12 (7-7 SIAC).

Morehouse, which dropped to 6-11 (6-9 SIAC), will square off against the Fort Valley State Wildcats, Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m., at Forbes Arena.