JACKSON- The Millsaps Majors game-tying three fell short as the Hendrix Warriors outlasted the Majors 57-55 on Sunday afternoon.
Colton Primm converted a three-point play for the Warriors to give them the lead with five seconds left. The transition play came out of a missed free throw by the Majors and proved to be the game winner.
The two teams traded runs for much of the 40 minutes on Sunday. After a Marc Robertson three, the Warriors took off on a 7-0 run to take a 12-5 lead. Primm would start red-hot hitting his first six shots for the Warriors. Millsaps answered the Warrior run with a 10-2 run of their own capped by a Robertson jump shot to give Millsaps their first lead at 15-14 midway through the half.
After the teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, Mac McElveen hit a pair of three pointers. Those jumpers spurred a 10-2 Majors' run to end the half and send Millsaps into the locker room with a 35-28 lead.
Millsaps would start fast in the second half, forcing a pair of Warrior turnovers and turning them into easy points. The Majors owned their largest lead at 39-27 with 17 minutes left. The Warriors responded with a 13-0 run over the next four minutes, wiping away the Majors lead. A Drew Nikolovski three gave Hendrix a 40-39 lead.
The Majors would regroup and another McElveen three upped the Majors' lead to 46-42 with 12 minutes to go. The Warriors stormed back with another run, this one 10-2, to retake the lead at 52-48.
Defense would take over for the next three minutes, with the lone field goal for either team coming from a Dustin Aubert free throw. The Majors held Hendrix scoreless for nearly six minutes as they chipped away at the lead. Ryan Berger and Tully Gilligan would each sink a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions as Millsaps took a 55-54 lead with 25 seconds left.
The Warriors set up a play for Colton Primm, only to see his lay up get blocked by Ronnie Frebis, Robertson grabbed the loose ball and was fouled with 12 seconds left. Robertson, a 88 percent foul shooter, missed both free throws, setting up the winning three-point play for the Warriors. Tully Gilligan's three at the horn fell short as the Majors dropped to 0-6 in SAA play and 3-12 overall.
Millsaps will look to rebound as they travel to Georgia for the Oglethorpe/Berry swing. Friday night, the Majors are in Atlanta to take on Oglethorpe. Tip time is set for 8pm central.
A few notes from the game:
Tully Gilligan knocked on the door of a triple-double with 13 points 8 rebounds and 9 assists...Colton Primm had a game-high 19 for the Warriors...Millsaps turned 15 Warrior turnovers into 23 points...Hendrix held a 28-20 points in the paint edge...Millsaps out rebounded Hendrix 30-25...The Majors had three players in double figures with Berger and Aubert each scoring 10.
