JACKSON- The Millsaps Majors completed a weekend sweep, pulling away in the final minute in a 53-48 win over the Hendrix Warriors on Sunday afternoon.
Velvet Johnson had 18 points including a perfect 10-10 from the foul line to lead the Majors on Sunday. It was her foul shots in the final moments that sealed the win for Millsaps.
This was a tightly contested game from start to finish with four ties, nine lead changes and Millsaps owning the game's largest lead at just nine points.
Offense was hard to come by early on with a Beverly Holmes three serving as the game's only points in the opening four minutes. Samantha Perez would score the Majors' next five points to give the Majors an 8-5 lead as the teams traded baskets midway through the half. A Miah Brooks' bucket gave the Majors a 15-9 lead with four minutes left to play as each team ratched up their defense as the half wound down.
The Majors would get a buzzer-beating lay-in from Kala-Jewel Freeman to send them to the locker room with a 20-14 lead. The Majors held Hendrix to just 20 percent shooting in the first half while shooting 30 percent in the defense-dominated opening 20 minutes.
After an early Warrior three, the Majors rattled off a 8-2 run to open up their largest lead at 28-19 after a Freeman jumper. Out of a Hendrix timeout, the Warriors responded with a 10-2 run to close the Majors lead to one at 30-29. The teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, with the Majors never leading by more than three. Caitlin Kriesel-Bigler drained a step-back three with just over 7 minutes left for Hendrix, tying the game at 36.
Bigler hit another three moments later, as Hendrix took their first lead of the game at 39-36 with six minutes to go. Hendrix would maintain their lead over the next several possessions, trading buckets with the Majors. However, Miah Brooks and Velvet Johnson would live at the free throw line, draining six straight foul shots to give the Majors a 45-44 lead with 90 seconds left.
Sam Perez hit a running layup to retake the lead for good as the Majors at 47-46. It was the Majors' defense that proved to be the difference on Sunday. Kala Freeman then stole a pass on the following possession and cashed in a Perez pass to put the Majors up three with 20 seconds left. Bigler thought she had tied the game with a lengthy jumper only for the refs to rule that her foot was on the line, cutting the Majors' lead to one at 49-48. Johnson would hit four free throws sandwiched around a Warrior missed three as the Majors pulled out the victory.
The win improves Millsaps to 10-6 and 4-2 in conference. The Warriors fall to 7-10 and 1-5 in conference. The Majors head to Atlanta next Friday night to face the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels tip time is set for 6pm central.
A few notes from the game:
Millsaps out rebounded Hendrix 38-36 and had a 7-2 second-chance points advantage...Each team scored 11 points off turnovers...Millsaps out scored Hendrix 22-14 in the paint...Taylor Neal led Hendrix with 18 points...Miah Brooks had a game-high 13 rebounds.
