MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Millsaps men's basketball team was outscored by LaGrange College, 78-66 in the Hawks Classic hosted by Huntingdon College inside the Roland Arena on Friday. 
 
Junior Dakota Gasca led the Majors with 12 points, two assists and two rebounds, while shooting 4-of-7 from the field. 
 
Senior Drew Roth (four rebounds, two assists) and junior Caleb Kent (three rebounds) both finished with nine points each. 
 
Senior Nicholas Ughovwa recorded eight points, two blocked shots, nine rebounds and an assist. 
 
Classmate TJ Hogan (two assists, five rebounds) and junior RJ VanBeber (two rebounds, one steal) both netted six points on the evening. 
 
Sophomore Devin Harris had a solid performance with five points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal against the Panthers. 
 
Millsaps (1-1) outnumbered LaGrange in total rebounds (39-30), but the Panthers excelled in points off turnovers (28-9). 
 
The Majors held LaGrange 25 percent from three-point range and outshot the Panthers at 39.1 percent (9-for-23). However, LaGrange (1-2) dominated points in the paint (38-24). 
 
Ughovwa netted a layup for the game's first basket to move the Majors ahead, 2-0. 
 
Millsaps would extend their lead to 9-2 following a long three-pointer from Harris three minutes later. 
 
Moments later, the Panthers would come back and draw the matchup even at 9-9 with a layup inside the paint. 
 
Roth would soon put the Millsaps back in charge following a three-pointer behind the arc with 12:44 to go. 
 
Back-to-back Panther layup midway through the half would lift LaGrange to a one-point lead. 
 
As the first half continued, Millsaps would proceed to battle hard as a layup and jump shot by Kent would usher the team back ahead at 26-19, following a 9-0 run. 
 
The Panthers then used another easy bucket inside the lane to comeback and draw the contest even again at 26-26. 
 
The Panthers would net a free throw at the line before junior Mack Gorton would close out the first half with a layup, with LaGrange holding a slim 31-30 advantage. 
 
In the beginning of the second half, Roth would knock down a triple to help the Majors pull ahead, 33-31. 
 
The Panthers would soon respond by netting a layup and three-pointer to regain the lead and eventually build 12-point advantage. 
 
Freshman Matthew Weaver would come off the bench and bank a long-range shot to narrow their deficit to 48-41. 
 
LaGrange would continue attacking the Majors on the court with another shot inside the paint to shift their margin back up to 11. 
 
With 8:16 remaining in the second half, two Gasa free-throw makes at the foul line cut the contest back into single digits. 
 
LaGrange would soon extend their lead to 61-48 following a pair of shots from the charity stripe. 
 
The Panthers would find themselves in trouble as a made three pointers by VanBeber and Gasca along with an Ughovwa layup would cut the deficit down to 62-59. The 11-1 Millsaps run would give the game new life. 
 
However, LaGrange would stretch their lead back up to 13 points courtesy of a 13-3 surge, with 1:35 remaining in the second half. 
 
Kent tallied one final layup and freshman Jovanni Perez would drain two free throws before the final horn as Millsaps would fall to LaGrange, 78-66 on Friday. 
 
The Majors will be back in action and continue competing in the Hawks Classic against Huntingdon College, beginning 5 p.m. on Saturday. 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.