BOX SCORE
JACKSON – In the lowest scoring game in Millsaps history since the 1983-84 season, the Majors overcame a three-point halftime deficit and held Trinity to a season-low 27 percent shooting to earn a gritty, 47-39 victory Saturday night in The Hangar Dome.
The win for Millsaps marked its third-straight overall, including a SCAC weekend sweep over Southwestern and Trinity, in improving to 5-7 overall and 2-3 in league action. The win over the Tigers also marked the Majors' fourth in five tries dating back two seasons, leading the all-time series by a slight 25-23 margin.
Trinity (5-8, 2-3 SCAC) darted out to an early 9-2 advantage after hitting four of its first five shots, and took its largest lead of the game, 14-6, midway through the period.
Millsaps, who missed eight of its first nine shots, climbed back into the contest with back-to-back buckets from senior
Cameron Varnado and then five points from senior
Blake Martinez, capping a 9-2 run that cut the Tigers' lead to 16-15.
Trinity scored the next five points after a 3-pointer from Michael Tobolowsky and a jumper from standout Luke Caldarera before Martinez answered with his second 3-pointer of the contest as time expired to make the halftime score 21-18 in favor of Trinity.
Millsaps shot a season-low 27 percent (7-of-26) in the first half, compared to 43 percent for Trinity, but trailed by just three at the break thanks to solid defense.
The second half was a completely different story, as the tables were turned and TU couldn't find the basket. Millsaps shot close to 40 percent in the game's final 20 minutes, while the Tigers managed just 5-of-31 field goals for 16 percent.
Millsaps caught fire in the opening 11:46 in the second half, putting together a 15-3 run to take its largest lead of the game at that point, 33-24. Trinity went nearly 15 minutes without a field goal dating back to the 3:39 mark of the first half but finally got a layup from Peter Garatoni to snap the scoring drought with 9:02 to play in regulation.
The teams combined for just seven field goals the rest of the way, and Trinity didn't get any closer than five points, as four different Majors combined on 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the important home conference victory.
Millsaps was led offensively by a game-high 15 points from Varnado, while Martinez added 12 and
Chris Ingle chipped in 10 points and seven boards.
Quinn Lemieux also had a solid showing, scoring eight points and grabbing a game-high eight rebounds.
The Majors will look to build off a three-game win streak on Monday, welcoming the University of Dallas to The Hangar Dome for a 7 p.m. tip-off. Dallas earned a 63-55 win earlier this season, but the Majors still lead the all-time series 10-5 over the Crusaders.
Game Notes:
• Lowest scoring win for Millsaps since a 44-40 victory over Wash U (Mo.) in 1984
• Majors have won four straight SCAC home games dating back to last year
• Millsaps stretched its streak to 456-straight gms with a 3-pointer (3rd in NCAA history)