MEMPHIS, TN- The Millsaps Majors held the Rhodes Lynx without a field goal in the final four minutes and shot 59 percent in a 54-51 win on Friday night.
The Majors put three in double figures as part of a balanced offensive attack. Ronnie Frebis (pictured) and Marc Robertson led the way with 14 while Ryan Berger had 11 points off the bench.
Millsaps led for 37 of the 40 minutes on Friday and wasted little time grabbing the early lead. Frebis had a pair of early layups in the post and Robertson rained in a three as Millsaps raced out to a 10-2 lead four minutes into the contest. After the teams traded stops and baskets, Berger cashed in a layup midway through the half as the Majors continued to keep a multi-score lead at 16-9. The Lynx would answer with a quick 5-0 run to close within two, the closest the game had been since Millsaps took a 3-2 lead in the opening minute.
The Majors put the clamps down on the Lynx' offense, holding them without a point for over the next six minutes. Millsaps would stretch the lead out to 20-14 after a Robertson lay up and took a 22-18 lead with them into the half.
Rhodes would close to within one after a three pointer in the second half's opening minute. The Majors kept the lead, using a Mac McElveen lay up and Dustin Aubert jumper to stretch the lead back out to five. Millsaps' lead would range between two and five points for much of the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Tully Gilligan would help to spark a Millsaps' run midway through the half. He hit one jump shot and assisted on two more as the Majors built the game's largest lead at 49-41 with six minutes to go. It would be Rhodes' turn to up the defense, as they held the Majors without a point over a three minute 9-0 run to take a 50-49 lead with three minutes left.
Rhodes took the lead with a pair of free throws and did not have a field goal over the game's final four minutes. Their lead lasted exactly 19 seconds as Ryan Berger put home a three-point play to give the Majors a 52-50 lead.
The teams traded turnovers on their next two possessions and Millsaps forced a pair of errant threes from the Lynx. A Ryan Berger foul put Rhodes on the line with a chance to tie with 22 seconds left, but Drew Miller missed the back end of the two shots. After the Majors came up empty on their free throw, the defense forced another Lynx turnover. McElveen hit a pair of free throws put the Majors up three and a last gasp three by Rhodes was off the mark as time expired.
The win is the Majors' second straight as they improve to 5-13 and 2-7 in SAA play. Rhodes falls to 12-8 and 5-4 in conference. The Majors head to Arkansas to wrap up their road season with the Hendrix Warriors on Sunday, tip time is set for 3pm.
A few notes from the game:
Millsaps out rebounded Rhodes 30-20 but were outscored 7-1 on second-chance points...The Majors turned 13 Lynx' turnovers into 10 points while Rhodes had 13 steals but just 11 points off turnovers...Frebis led the Majors with seven rebounds while Gilligan led the way with eight assists...Shane Watson had 10 points to lead Rhodes.
