JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps men's basketball team held the court down by besting Austin College in the season opener, 74-57 inside the Hangar Dome on Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore Cameron Lumar led the Majors with 16 points, five rebounds and two steals.
Senior Drew Roth (nine rebounds, one block) and sophomore
Devin Harris (four rebounds, two steals) both recorded 10 points against the Kangaroos.
Junior Dakota Gasca (four rebounds, two assists, one steal) and senior
Nicholas Ughovwa (five rebounds, three assists, three blocks) both recorded eight points on the floor.
Freshman Jovanni Perez (two steals, two assists) and junior
Mack Gorton (career-high eight rebounds, one steal) both chipped in seven points.
Graduate TJ Hogan added five points, three rebounds and one steal in the victory against Austin College.
Millsaps dominated the Kangaroos with a 38-10 margin in points inside the paint and held a 19-9 advantage in fast-break opportunities.
The matchup featured 12 ties and seven lead changes, but Millsaps pulled away in the second half thanks to 62.5 percent shooting (24-of-56).
In the opening of the first half, Gasca would grab a steal and pass the ball ahead to Ughovwa who would be fouled, giving Millsaps their first point of the season from the free-throw line.
Ughovwa then contested a block shot on defense and netted a hook shot for the first Millsaps basket.
The Kangaroos would bank a trey to carry their first lead of the game at 5-3.
Austin then would soon jump ahead, 14-5 on a 7-0 run. The Roos would then move ahead, 19-9 following a three-pointer beyond the arc.
Hogan would come alive and score his first point of the half tested by a layup six minutes before the half.
Down by a seven-point margin, Lumar would come alive for three baskets and three free throws. The Hahnville, La., native's scoring rampage gave the Majors a 12-0 run, helping the squad to come back for a 21-19 lead.
However, with 40 seconds on the clock the Kangaroos would replenish their lead back up to five points off another trey.
Perez would come off the bench and collect his first point from the free throw line and sophomore Noah Babineaux would begin to take action with another Majors free throw to close out the first half down, 29-26.
In the second half, Gasca would make his defender hesitate from a jumper outside the paint to cut the match down to one point.
The Kangaroos would find early foul trouble as Ughovwa would net two made free throws to push the Majors ahead by two.
Lumar would soon extend the Majors ahead, 38-34 with a flushing three pointer assisted by Perez.
However the Kangaroos rushed back in front with a 7-0 run.
With the game on the edge, Roth would cut back in front of the basket to rock the Hangar Dome on wide open two-handed dunk to helm the Majors into a one-point lead.
Perez followed with a layup to push the Majors ahead, 46-43 before Austin College would attack with another jumper. However, Ughovwa coming off a screen would attack the post with a floating jump shot to send the Kangaroos away.
Roth handling business on the court, would surface back in for a tip-in layup to press the Kangaroos down, 50-45.
As the second half continued, Harris would rush past a pair of defenders for a highlighted layup to make it 54-49.
With six minutes on the clock, Perez would steal the ball and throw it down court to Gasca for a floating jump shot to keep the team momentum going.
Roth on hot spree made both a tip-in shot and sank a jumper in the paint to move Millsaps ahead by 11 points.
The Monterey, Calif., product playing both sides of the court well would send back a shot with a nifty block from the wing before Ughovwa would punish his opponents with another block moments later.
The Majors would close out the season opener on a 6-0 run with free-throw makes, giving Millsaps a 74-57 triumph inside the Hangar Dome.
The Majors will be back in action at Mississippi College for an exhibition matchup in Clinton, Miss., on Tuesday, beginning at 6 p.m. Live video and live stats will be provided at gomajors.com.
To keep updated with everything surrounding the Millsaps men's basketball program this season follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
