Box Score
JACKSON - The Millsaps College men's basketball team took a three-point lead into halftime and closed the game on an 11-1 run to defeat Hendrix College 49-38 Saturday afternoon at The Hangar Dome to remain in the hunt for one of the final two playoff spots in the SCAC West Division.
On a night when both teams struggled to find offense, the Majors converted 10-of-12 free throws in the second half to secure the conference victory.
With the victory, the Majors move to 10-12 overall and 6-8 in the SCAC while Hendrix falls to 6-15 overall and 3-11 in the SCAC.
The teams opened the game trading leads with neither team able to claim more than a two-point lead until Hendrix's Cal Rose hit a 3-pointer for a 12-9 advantage.
LV Sumler responded by scoring the next four points as the Majors took a 13-12 lead until Ryan Rizos got the lead back for the Warriors with a 3-pointer.
After
Jairus Browning drained a jumper from behind the arc to take an 18-15 advantage, Chris Goodman answered with a 3-pointer of his own for Hendrix to even the score at 18-18.
The next five minutes of play came and went with neither team able to add any points to their total until
Ben Cooper made a layup off a nice feed from
Cameron Varnado to give Millsaps a 20-18 lead with less than four minutes to play in the opening half.
The Majors were then able to maintain a slim 28-25 lead heading into the intermission.
Millsaps scored the first four points of the second half to build a seven-point advantage but the Warriors continued to battle as Nick Heathscott tipped-in his own missed layup to cut the Majors' lead to two, 32-30.
Hendrix went on a 7-0 run over a four minute span to get back into the game down just one, 38-37.
The Majors responded by controlling play in the final five minutes outscoring the Warriors 11-1 to preserve the crucial win, 49-38.
Varnado led the Majors with 12 points, on 5-of-10 shooting, while
Chris Ingle pulled down eight rebounds.
Heathscott recorded a double-double for the Warriors in the loss and led all players with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
With only two conference games remaining, Millsaps remains in the hunt for a playoff spot and hosts Colorado College next Friday night at 8 p.m., a team they sit a game behind in the standings.