JACKSON, Miss. – A quartet of Majors reached double figures in scoring powering the Millsaps men's basketball team to an 86-78 victory against Birmingham-Southern. Doug Watson (18 points) and Aaron Ursin (17 points) led the charge inside the Hangar Dome on Wednesday night.

First-year guard Brock Brown was solid off the bench with 13 points, nine rebounds and a game-high four assists, while classmate Devin Bass also registered double-digit points as a reserve with 11 points, five rebounds and a game-high three steals. In the final regular season home game of his collegiate career, senior forward Newlon Gillihan tallied eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Millsaps (4-17, 2-9 SAA) outpaced the Panthers 21-7 in fast break points while BSC (10-12, 5-6 SAA) outscored the Majors in reserve points at 47-31.

With the score knotted at 16-16 in an action-packed first 10 minutes, a three pointer by Watson capped off a 10-4 run to give the Majors their largest lead of the first half at 26-20. After the Panthers tied it up at 28-28, Bryce Brown knocked down a spot up three to help Millsaps reclaim the lead with just under four minutes remaining. This would be the last shot Millsaps would make in the half while BSC would convert on a corner three to send the game tied 31-31 heading into the intermission.

MIllsaps' first basket in the second half did not come until the 16:12 mark when Brown found Bass cutting to the hoop for a layup to make the score 38-33. Finding holes in a 2-3 zone from BSC, the Majors reclaimed the lead at 42-40 with just under 14 minutes remaining following a wing three by Watson.

Both teams would show efficient offense over the course of the next eight minutes, there would be 11 lead changes and three ties as both teams traded buckets for a score of 60-59 as the Majors entered the under eight-minute media timeout with the slight advantage.

With the Majors up by four, they turned defense into offense as Gillihan swatted an attempt in the paint and Brown found Watson on a 2-on-1 fast-break score to make it a 69-63 game at the final media timeout.

Ursin would take control on the right block with back-to-back hook shots with just over three minutes left to make it a three-score game. As time waned, Millsaps would hold strong at the free throw line to preserve an 86-78 victory.

The Majors will finish the regular season on a two-game road trip starting with Rhodes on Friday. Tipoff in Memphis is set for 8 p.m. Live video and stats links are available on the men's basketball schedule page at gomajors.com.


To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps men's basketball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.