JACKSON, MS- The 2014-15 SAA regular season champion Millsaps' women's basketball team officially wrapped up their season with their annual end-of-the-year banquet.
The Majors won their second regular-season title in three Southern Athletic Association (SAA) seasons after going 20-6 overall and a stellar 12-2 in conference, winning the SAA by three games. Their regular-season title also earned Millsaps the right to host the conference tourney for the second time in three seasons, and earned a birth in the conference tournament title game, finishing the year at 22-6.
Early in the season, the Majors and the North Central College Cardinals were involved in one of the most exciting and historic games of the season. The Majors fell 117-115 in double overtime in the title game of the North Central Tip-Off Classic. The 115 points tied a division-III record for most points in a loss. Miah Brooks set a season-high with 34 points and was named all-tournament. As was Samantha Perez, who recorded just the third triple-double in school history with 14 points 14 assists and 10 rebounds in the game.
It was after that game where the Majors went on a tear, winning 15 of their next 16 contests including their first eight in conferenece. After a slight stumble in a conference road weekend, the Majors closed the season with four straight conference wins, including an overtime win at Rhodes. Beverly Holmes hit a last-second three in the extra frame to clinch the win and secure a 20-win regular season for the Majors.
Throughout the season, the Majors set records. Velvet Johnson became the school's all-time scoring leader in the win at Rhodes. The senior would conclude her career with 1,449 points and was named the SAA Player of the Year and an All-American by D3News. Samantha Perez ended her career with the third-most assists in school history. Miah Brooks set a single-season record with 281 rebounds and moved to second on the school's all-time list. Coach Chuck Winkelman was named SAA Coach of the Year after guiding the team to a 12-2 SAA mark.
The senior class as a whole (Brittnei Earl, Velvet Johnson, Sam Perez) closed their career with a 79-31 record including a 46-12 conference mark. To put that in perspective, Millsaps went just 30-71 overall and 18-44 in conference in the four years prior to their arrival.
Yes, it was truly a historic and memorable season for the Majors and the future looks bright for the Majors.
