Majors drop home contest to the Chocs 50-46

The Millsaps Lady Majors battled to the final buzzer Tuesday, however, it was the rival Mississippi College Lady Choctaws pulling off a hard-fought 50-46 victory at the Hanger Dome on the campus of Millsaps College.

Early on in the game both teams were riddled with turnovers and fouls. Millsaps and MC forced 19 turnovers each and combined for 40 fouls on the evening. Millsaps took 22 free throw attempts, only six short of the number of field goals the team attempted in the entire game.

The first half signaled a possible shootout with both teams looking sharp in the first five minutes. Things settled down, though, with the Lady Majors maintaining a two point lead from the ten-minute mark to the six minute point. The Choctaws nursed a one to two point cushion from the five minute mark until the Majors knotted things up at 23 with 1:35 remaining inthe first half.

The next minute and a half witnessed a pair of lead changes and it appeared as though the Choctaws were going to head into the half with a 25-24 lead; however, Crystal Bender knocked down a short two in the paint that gave Millsaps a 26-25 lead at the break.

The rivals from Clinton lead throughout most of the second half and eventually gained a 42-35 cushion with seven minutes left; however, the Majors would not go down without a fight.

Miranda Rosar kept the Majors in it down the stretch. The junior caught on fire in the last six minutes, torching the Choctaws for ten points down the stretch.

The stretch-run saw Rosar whittle the deficit to four; only to see the Choctaws stretch the lead back out to six. With 3:17 left, Rosar knocked down a bucket in the post. MC's Yennette Smith rang back with a baseline jumper. The following possession, Rosar was fouled in the paint and rattled home a pair from the charity stripe. After Lauren Williams netted a single free throw, the Majors failed to score on the ensuing possession due to a offensive foul.

With their backs to the wall, the Lady Majors made a clutch defensive stop that lead to Rosar's finger-roll to cut the lead down to three. The following possession, the Majors forced a turnover and called a timeout with 29 seconds left.

The stifling defense of the Choctaws, however, forced a hail mary three pointer with eight seconds left. The ball was secured by the Choctaws and Victoria Richardson connected on her second free-throw to dash the Majors' upset chance.

Rosar led the Majors with 15 points, all coming in the second half, and six rebounds. Martha McDaniel chipped in with 12 points, all coming on three pointers.

Robin Rae Burns, pumped in 15 points, all in the second half, along with eight rebounds to lead the Chocs.

The Lady Majors hit the road for the Washington and Lee University Tournament in St. Louis, MO, followed by a December 1 home game against Huntingdon University. Tip-off rot hat contest is set for 5 p.m.

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