BOX SCORE
CONWAY, Ark. – Hendrix College sophomore forward Nick Heathscott's two free throws with 17 seconds remaining forced overtime where the host Warriors held on to defeat Millsaps College, 71-67 on Thursday night at Grove Gymnasium.
In a game that featured eight ties and 19 lead changes, Heathscott exploded for 18 of his career-high 30 points in the final 25 minutes, overshadowing a career night from Millsaps' \#Ben Cooper\# who pumped in 18 points and 10 boards, respectively.
Millsaps came out of the gate hot and led for the first 12 minutes until Hendrix took its first lead of the game at 18-17 with 7:20 left before the break. The teams then traded buckets and six lead changes the rest of the half, with \#Jeff Brown\#'s layup giving the visiting Majors a 29-28 lead at intermission.
Despite shooting 48 percent as a team, Hendrix trailed at the break due to a rebounding clinic put on by Millsaps. The Majors grabbed 11 offensive boards in the opening 20 minutes and owned a 21-12 advantage, but shot just 30 percent from the floor.
The second half of action was much like the first, with eight lead changes and four ties. Hendrix's largest lead was just four, while Millsaps led by as many as five, with both teams getting a bulk of their scoring in the paint.
A three point lead for Hendrix, 53-50, with 1:35 left in regulation was erased by five unanswered points from the Majors to go up 55-53, thanks to a go-ahead 3-pointer from senior \#Blake Martinez\# with 45 seconds left on the clock from \#Brian Merkel\#.
The ensuing possession for Hendrix resulted in the Warriors going to the charity stripe after a loose ball foul on Cooper. Heathscott then stepped up and knocked down two clutch free throws that sent the game into overtime at 55-55.
The five minutes of overtime play also did not disappoint, as there were five lead changes in the first three minutes alone.
With the game knotted at 63-63 with 2 minutes to play, Cal Rose grabbed Hendrix's final lead when he was fouled on a missed 3-point attempt and made good on all three free throws from the line. The Warriors were then able to hold on from there, scoring 10 of their 16 points in the overtime period from the charity stripe for the 71-67 win.
Millsaps again had a solid showing on the boards, outrebounding the Warriors 43-37, and in the turnover battle, but just couldn't come up with the big plays down the stretch. The Majors also outscored the Hendrix bench 28-9, led by Cooper's 18.
The Majors will now take a much needed 16-day break from competition as part of the Christmas Holidays, and will return to the hardwood Jan. 2-3 in Jackson as part of the Cabot-Lodge Millsaps Holiday Tournament in The Hangar Dome.
