CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – The Millsaps women's basketball team secured their 10th triumph of the season after battling back at the University of the Ozarks, 62-56 inside the Mabee Gymnasium on Thursday.
Senior Whitney Novak set the tone for the Majors down the stretch with nine points and two rebounds. The Mobile, Ala., product sank a pair of three-pointers in closing moments to lift the Majors to victory.
Classmate Haley Franklin led the Majors with 17 points, two assists and five rebounds. The Baton Rouge, La., native also tied a career-high four steals, while shooting 8-for-14 from the floor.
Sophomore Garin Freeman finished with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Senior Emily Adams (four assists, three rebounds, and one steal) and junior Elyse Warren (five rebounds) both registered eight points against the Eagles.
Millsaps (10-1) surpassed the Ozarks (5-3) in points off turnovers (23-10) and 7-4 in second-chance points while the host outscored the Majors (18-14) in total bench points contested.
The Majors shut down the Eagles, 6-0 in fastbreak points while claiming a 28-16 margin from inside the paint.
Millsaps started the first quarter off strong with Novak hitting a three from the wing. A Freeman jumper then put the team ahead, 5-2.
However, the Eagles would respond quickly with a steal and a jumper to cut the Majors lead down by one.
A layup by Ozarks would soon tie the game at 6-6 and the hosts would take their first lead of the contest following a three-pointer from the corner, making it 9-8.
With three minutes and 10 seconds left in the first quarter, the Eagles would continue to dominate from long range and extend their early advantage by eight points.
Freeman would score the last points for the Majors with a free throw and junior Lexus Keyes would end the first quarter with a steal. Millsaps, however trailed behind, 19-9.
In the second quarter, a sophomore Tia Anderson layup and Adams' three-pointer brought Millsaps within eight points early.
With four minutes and 37 seconds remaining in the second, a Franklin jumper and Warren game-tying shot made the contest, 24-24 after a 13-2 run.
The Eagles regained the lead and closed the half on a 9-0 burst to hold a 33-24 margin at intermission.
In the third quarter, Franklin started off strong for the Majors with a steal and a layup.
After a pair of Ozarks jumpers, Keyes knocked down two free throws. The shots punctuated a 10-0 rally to help the Majors make a comeback and only trail behind, 37-36.
Adams would then knock down a crucial three-pointer to keep the Majors' confidence alive, trailing 42-41 with two minutes and 14 seconds to go in the quarter.
The host team would end the third quarter with a layup to maintain their lead at 44-41.
In the fourth quarter, Freeman scored the first points for the Majors on a contested layup.
Midway through the final quarter, Ozarks would build an eight-point cushion.
With three minutes and eight seconds remaining, Freeman would use an and-on jumper to help Millsaps regain the lead at 54-53 after nine unanswered points.
Ozarks with three made free throws after both defenses played tough in the closing minutes. The third free-throw make made it 56-54 Ozarks with 1:07 remaining.
Persevering for the Majors, Novak would come off the bench and drain two consecutive three-pointers to change the atmosphere for the team. She sank one with 59 seconds and 25 seconds to play.
Anderson would close out the game with a steal just prior with 48 seconds on the clock and made two late free throws to ice away the victory. The Majors outlasted Ozarks with a final score of 62-56 on Thursday.
Millsaps will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 3 to face Howard Payne University in the opening for the Majors in the ETBU Classic at 5: 30 p.m. The matchup in Marshall, Texas will have live video and live stats available at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College women's basketball program 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.
