JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps men's basketball team concluded the weekend with a stellar second half, downing the Centenary College Gents, 75-63 inside the Hangar Dome. Junior Caleb Kent netted his first double-double for the Majors in the Millsaps College Tournament finale on Saturday.
Kent led the way for the Majors with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting 7-for-10 from the floor. He added two steals and two assists.
Sophomore Cameron Lumar finished by recording 17 points, six assists and two steals against the Gents.
Junior Dakota Gasca posted 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Senior Nicholas Ughovwa erupted with 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block on defense.
Millsaps (2-4) outscored Centenary 21-5 in second chance points, while bettering the Gents with points scored in the paint (46-20).
Centenary (1-5) held a narrow 11-8 advantage in bench points, while Millsaps accumulated a 11-8 fastbreak advantage in the victory over the Gents.
In the beginning of the first half, Millsaps Lumar used a three-pointer to open the scoring.
Moments later, senior Drew Roth (eight rebounds, three blocks) would bank a trey home to extend the Major lead to 8-0.
A fastbreak layup by Centenary would soon tie the matchup at 8-8 before junior Mack Gorton would alternate a layup for Millsaps to push the team back out front.
Both opponents would begin to trade off points as the game continued 10 ties and five lead changes.
Centenary later built a six-point lead by sinking a three-pointer outside the arch.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Gorton would finish strong at the free-throw line. Centenary held a narrow 35-31 advantage entering halftime.
In the second half, Ughovwa provided back-to-back layups to give the Majors a 37-35 edge only two minutes into the second half.
The two teams would continue to exchange points back and forth. However with 7:34 minutes remaining in the second half, Roth slammed home a missed layup with both hands to spark the energy in the Hangar Dome.
Leading by five points moments later, the Millsaps offense would continue their rhythm as Lumar scored a solid layup going toward the rim.
Gasca then scored an impressive, arching step-back jumper with his right hand just outside of the paint. The West Monroe, La., product would follow through at the free-throw line to complete an and-one opportunity.
With four minutes left, a jumper by Lumar would push the Majors ahead by nine points. Kent then made a free throw to give Millsaps their largest lead of the game at 73-57. The made shot concluded a key 11-0 run late.
Roth would finish the rest for the squad on defense with a block inside the paint to help the Majors prevail, 75-63 on Saturday.
The Majors will be back in action and face Huntingdon College on Tuesday, Dec. 3 inside the Hangar Dome. Opening tip is set for 6 p.m. with live video and live stats available 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.
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.
