Box Score
JACKSON – The Millsaps men’s basketball team built a double-digit halftime lead Friday night at The Hangar Dome and hung on down the stretch to come away with the important conference victory over visiting Sewanee, 55-50.
In what turned out to be a low scoring affair, the Majors held their opponent to just 34 percent shooting from the floor while finishing 42 percent.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard first with a free throw by Garrett Hollingsworth but the Majors quickly answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from senior
Blake Martinez for the 6-1 advantage.
Sewanee responded with the game’s next six points coming off two 3-point baskets from Lewis Affronti, who led all scorers with a game-high 16 points.
Momentum continued to change sides as Millsaps went on a 7-0 run to take a 13-7 lead following a layup from junior
Chris Ingle.
Millsaps extended this streak and took a 22-12 lead with baskets from sophomore
Ben Cooper and freshman
Quinn Lemieux.
A 3-pointer from Sewanee’s Tony Marelle ended the Majors’ run and after a layup by Hollingsworth, the Tigers were down just 22-17.
The Majors would bear down defensively for the remaining nine minutes of the half not allowing a single point by Sewanee while scoring six to take a 28-17 lead into intermission.
Five points by Affronti to open the second half quickly got the Tigers back into the game, down 28-22.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by freshman
Tim White brought The Hangar Dome crowd to their feet as Millsaps built its largest lead of the game, 42-26.
Three more 3-point baskets from Sewanee’s Affronti and Brett Bouldin closed the gap to seven-points, before Martinez hit another 3-pointer for Millsaps with under six minutes to play.
Sewanee outscored Millsaps 12-6 in the next three minutes to cut the lead to four but the Majors held the Tigers to just three points in the final two minutes to preserve the conference win, 55-50.
Millsaps had several chances to ice the game late with free throws but hit only 4-of-8 from the charity stripe in the final minute and finished just 48 percent (11-for-23) from the foul line.
Seniors
Cameron Varnado and Martinez led the Majors offensively with 11 points apiece.
Behind Affronti’s 16 points, Zack Mulligan chipped in 12 points off the bench while Marelle added eight assists.
The Majors return to the hardwood Sunday afternoon when they face conference foe Oglethorpe University at 3:00 p.m.