Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2017) – Top-seeded Rhodes College proved to have too much firepower for No. 8 seed Millsaps College today as the Lynx defeated the Majors, 106-79, in the opening round of the 2017 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Men's Basketball Tournament. Junior
Sam Kohnke (New Orleans, La.) led Millsaps with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Millsaps (4-21) got off to a quick start when Kohnke fed freshman
James Turner (Vestavia, Ala.) for a three-pointer a minute in. The Majors still led by three at 5-2 after a layup from freshman
Zachary Tullos (Puckett, Miss.), but Rhodes (15-10) came back with eight straight points that started a 16-2 run by the Lynx. Mitch Weatherford and Kendrick Ashby each had four points in the surge that saw Rhodes take an 18-7 advantage on Weatherford's fast-break layup at the 14:06 mark.
Millsaps came back to cut the lead to six after a jumper from sophomore
Daniel Coleman (Richton, Miss.) just a minute later, but the Majors could get no closer the rest of the half. Twice Millsaps was within nine in the final six minutes, but Rhodes outscored the Majors 13-9 over the final five minutes to take a 48-35 lead at the break.
A dunk off a fast-break by freshman
Robert Gardner (Baton Rouge, La.) in the opening minute of the second half had Millsaps within 10 at 51-41, but the Majors would connect on just one field goal over the next five minutes. Rhodes took advantage and outscored the Majors, 17-4, to open a 68-45 lead on a JJ Weir layup.
From there Millsaps could not get its deficit under 20 points as Rhodes went on to claim the victory and move on to the semifinals of the tournament. Kohnke hit four treys while also leading Millsaps with eight assists, with freshman
Buck Blanz (Lawrenceville, Ga.) adding 14 points and Coleman chipping in 13 for the Majors. Turnovers hurt the Millsaps cause, with the Majors committing 24 that led to 35 points for their opponent.
Anesu Nyawata led Rhodes with 17 points, with Daniel Darst adding 15 and Owen Galvin also reaching double figures with 11. Darst also paced the Lynx with seven rebounds and four assists.
