BIRMINGHAM, AL- A big Panther run spanned both halves and was too much for the Majors to overcome as they fell to Birmingham Southern 91-74 at Bill Battle Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers mounted a 31-6 run over 10 minutes to break open a tie game and send the Majors to their third straight loss in conference.
The Majors got a big first half from Alex Gerchow who had nine points and seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes. He hit a pair of jumpers in the paint to erase an early Panther lead and give the Majors a 13-12 advantage. A three pointer and a jumper from senior Ryan Detillieu gave Millsaps their biggest lead of the game at 20-17. The two rivals would trade baskets until a Mason Holle three-pointer with five minutes left in the half sparked the big Panther run.
BSC closed the first half on a 16-4 spurt over the final five minutes, giving them a 40-28 lead at the end of 20 minutes. They would continue to pour it on over the first five minutes of the second half. BSC opened the half on a 15-2 run, turning the game in a 55-30 blowout.
The Majors had no answer for the hot shooting Panthers. BSC shot 52 percent from the field and hit 15 threes in the victory. Millsaps heated up after a slow start on Saturday, shooting 63 percent from deep in the second half, but simply could not match Birmingham Southern shot-for-shot.
Ryan Detillieu led the Majors with 20 points off the bench, including 4-6 from three on Saturday. After his strong first half, Alex Gerchow closed with 11 points and nine rebounds. Myles Moore also had a solid game for Millsaps, chipping in 10 points off the bench in the loss.
Millsaps now sits at 5-9 on the season and 1-3 in the SAA as they split the season series with the Panthers. After playing three of the first four conference games on the road, the Majors return home to face Oglethorpe on Friday. But first is the Majors' final non-conference game of the season, they travel to Holly Springs, Mississippi to take on Rust College on Sunday. Tip between the Majors and Bearcats is set for 3pm.
