JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps women's basketball team found the resolve it needed and dug deep to down Rhodes, 68-47 in the Southern Athletic Association Second Round inside the Hangar Dome on Saturday.
 
No. 1 seed Millsaps (23-4, 12-2 SAA) advanced to the 2024 SAA Women's Basketball Championship where it will face No. 3 seed Centre (21-6, 10-4 SAA), beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Majors reached their fifth SAA title game in program history and first since the 2020-21 season. Another win on Sunday would give Millsaps its third-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first-ever conference postseason title, following two automatic berths in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons.

Sophomore Elyse Warren tallied a game-high 21 points and grabbed a career-best 24 rebounds on Saturday. The 24 rebounds are the most by a Major since at least the 2011-12 season. She added an assist on 10-of-14 shooting.

SAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year Haley Franklin netted 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Junior Whitney Novak sank five 3-pointers for 15 points to go along with three rebounds and one assist. Classmate Emily Adams added six points, two steals and an assist.

Rhodes (16-10, 10-4 SAA) was held to 22.1 percent (15-of-68) from the field as the Majors pulled away and heated up to 45 percent (9-of-20) in the fourth quarter

Millsaps controlled points in the paint (28-16), grabbed 10 steals and Warren helped the bench outscore the Lynx, 32-5.

Rhodes jumped ahead, 4-0 before Millsaps settled in to lead, 11-5 midway into the first quarter. The Lynx closed the gap to trail 13-11 after the opening stanza.

The second quarter would stay close throughout as the Majors claimed a narrow 28-26 advantage going into intermission.

A senior Maddie Howell 3-pointer with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter off the bench sparked Millsaps for a 9-0 run late to lead, 42-32. The margin would hold at 45-35 as the teams entered the final frame.

A pair of Warren 2-pointers gave Millsaps a 14-point cushion in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. However, Rhodes would claw back and trail by five with 5:29 remaining.

The Major defensive resistance would prove too much and the Lynx would be held scoreless the final 4:43 of the contest. Millsaps scored the final 15 points to triumph, 68-47 and earn a spot in the SAA Championship game.
 
No. 3 seed Centre defeated No. 2 seed Berry, 66-43 in the other matchup on Saturday in Jackson. The Colonels and Majors split the previous two meetings this season and will battle in the SAA Championship, beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Live video and live stats will be provided at gomajors.com.

2024 SAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Sunday, Feb. 18 – First Round
No. 1 Millsaps 82, No. 8 Hendrix 67
No. 4 Rhodes 73, No. 5 Sewanee 70 – 2OT
No. 3 Centre 68, No. 6 Oglethorpe 63
No. 2 Berry 73, No. 7 Birmingham-Southern 53

Saturday, Feb. 24 – Second Round
No. 1 Millsaps 68, Rhodes 47
No. 3 Centre 66, No. 2 Berry 43
 
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 – Championship
2 p.m. – No. 1 Millsaps vs. No. 3 Centre


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