MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Millsaps College men's basketball team put up a valiant effort but was bested, 83-76 by Millikin University in the Rhodes College Holiday Classic inside Mallory Gymnasium on Saturday.
Millsaps (2-9) and Millikin (6-4) were tied 10 times and traded the lead on 11 occasions in a back-and-forth battle.
The Big Blue utilized a 35-26 rebounding disparity as well as held down the interior (38-22 paint points) and led in bench scoring (27-15).
Millsaps was terrific from beyond the arch, connecting on 55.6 percent of long-range attempts (10-of-18). The Majors also were adept with defensive hands, grabbing a 9-4 steals advantage.
Junior Dakota Gasca finished with a season-high 18 points and three steals to go along with three assists and one rebound.
Sophomore Cameron Lumar chipped in 15 points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Senior Drew Roth grabbed six rebounds and tallied a season-best 13 points, while tying a career-best three assists.
Additionally, junior Caleb Kent almost registered a double-double with 10 points, eight boards, one assist and one steal.
Lumar opened the contest with a pair of free-throw makes, but the Big Blue answered with eight consecutive points. Roth stopped the run with a trey, making it 8-5 at the first media timeout.
Back-to-back-to-back Lumar jumpers continued to keep the Majors close early and trail, 13-12.
Millsaps then regained the lead after Kent cut to the hoop at made it 15-13 with 12:03 remaining in the first half.
Senior Nicholas Ughovwa followed by completing a strong and-one layup and free throw to push the Majors out front, 18-15.
The teams would trade baskets until Millikin responded with an and-one to make it 29-25 with 6:37 remaining in the half.
The Majors reasserted themselves and pushed ahead, 30-29 courtesy of a Gasca three-pointer and Roth jumper.
Gasca again scored from long range to tie the contest at 33-33 with 3:35 on the opening-half game clock. The West Monroe, La., product tied it at 37-37 once more after a nifty up-and-under.
Roth answered with a game-tying trey, making it 40-40. Graduate TJ Hogan then closed the opening stanza with a sweet finger roll at the hoop with Millsaps holding a two-point advantage.
Ughovwa continued the offensive success with a jumper to begin the second half. Again Millikin retaliated with another 8-0 run to retake the lead. The Big Blue further extended their margin to 55-48 before Gasca stole the ball and scored on a 3-on-1 fast break.
Junior Mack Gorton continued to help the Majors fight back with his second trey, cutting the deficit to 59-56 with 12:42 to go. The Big Blue though scored seven straight points, creating a ten-point cushion.
Trailing by eight, Gasca sank a pair of free throws before Lumar and Roth both made clutch treys, tying the game at 71-71 with six minutes left.
Millikin then grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds, which resulted in a pair of free-throw makes. The Big Blue would hold a narrow 75-72 margin with 3:18 remaining as a result.
The deficit grew to five when Kent raced the length of the court and scored to make it a 77-74 disadvantage with 1:45 left.
Kent made it a three-point contest again moments later off an inbounds layup. However, the Big Blue iced the game away with four free-throw conversions to hold on for an 83-76 decision.
Millsaps will be back in action and conclude its stay in the Rhodes College Holiday Classic on Sunday. The Majors will battle East Texas Baptist University at 1 p.m. with live video and live stats provided at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College men'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.
