HOLLY SPRINGS, MS- The Millsaps Majors men's basketball team fell on the road to the Rust Bearcats on Tuesday night, 72-68 in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Ryan Berger and Tully Gilligan each had 19 points to lead four Majors in double figures but it was not enough as the Majors fell to 1-2.
This was a nip-and-tuck affair from the opening tip. Threes by Murray Kastner and Marc Robertson got the offense going and the Majors hot hand from the field gave them a 19-18 lead half way through the first half. Berger hit a pair of jumpers to stretch the Millsaps' lead to 25-20 only to see Rust respond and tie the game at 25 with six minutes left in the half.
Another pair of threes by Robertson and Kastner got the Majors even at 31, the Bearcats would take a slim 36-35 lead into the half.
The second half would be just as tight as the first. Berger gave the Majors their first lead of the half with a jumper, then again a few minutes later as Millsaps would surge ahead 46-45. The Majors would grab a 50-45 lead with two quick jumpers but then went ice cold from the field. Millsaps went the next six minutes without a point as the Bearcats went on a 16-0 run to take a 61-50 lead. A Gilligan jumper ended the drought and the Majors got on the comeback trail.
Threes by Gilligan and Kastner and a lay-in by Dustin Aubert cut the lead to four. The Majors kept attacking the rim and drives by Gilligan, Berger and Kastner on three straight possessions led to field goals to get the Majors to within three at 71-68. However, at this point the Majors were also fighting the clock as well as the Bearcats, who iced the game with a free throw with 10 seconds left.
The Majors will head to Covenant this Saturday to take on the Scots in Georgia. The tip time is set for 3pm eastern and is part of a men's/women's double header.
Notes from the game:
The Majors shot 60 percent from the field...Rust got 40 points off their bench including 24 from Curtis Stuckey...Rust had a 35-5 advantage from the free throw line...The game had 16 lead changes and five ties
