BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A strong second half was enough for Birmingham-Southern College to pull away from the Millsaps women's basketball team inside the Bill Battle Coliseum on Saturday. The Majors fell in the Southern Athletic Association opener, 95-66.

Senior forward Andrea Rayford was terrific in defeat, posting a career-best 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw stripe. The Olive Branch, Miss., product added nine rebounds, two steals and a block.

Junior guard Briasha King reached double figures for the sixth time this season with 11 points, while sophomore forward Helena Roe nearly recorded a double-double (nine points, 11 rebounds). Freshman forward Taylor Frank tallied a career-high eight points and five boards off the bench.

Millsaps (5-6, 0-1 SAA) controlled the glass (51-38 rebounds) and the interior (48-38 points in the paint). However, Birmingham-Southern (6-4, 1-0 SAA) were master thieves with 21 steals resulting in 31 points.

A back-and-forth start to the game saw the Majors utilize a 7-0 run to close the opening quarter and begin the second with a 25-16 lead. BSC would then use a 14-0 flurry to take its final advantage midway through the second frame, which it never relinquished. Millsaps closed in on the deficit and trailed 34-33 at intermission.

The Majors shot an impressive 82 percent from the field (9-of-11) in the third, but the Panthers used seven three-pointers to secure a 33-24 edge in the quarter. BSC pulled away further in the final 10 minutes to claim a 95-66 win.

Millsaps is set to wrap up 2021 and non-conference play in Montgomery, Ala. on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Tipoff against Huntingdon College is slated for 1 p.m. with live video and stats links are available on the women's basketball schedule page at gomajors.com.


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