JACKSON, Miss. – The Hangar Dome was boisterous and electric, helping power the Millsaps women's basketball team past Centre College, 68-63 in the 2024 Southern Athletic Association Women's Basketball Championship on Sunday. The result was the first conference postseason title for the Majors and advanced the team into its third-ever NCAA Tournament.
 
No. 1 seed Millsaps (24-4, 12-2 SAA) was also led by SAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year Haley Franklin's 35 points, which matched a career high. Franklin added nine rebounds and two assists on 10-of-20 shooting from the floor and 15-of-21 from the free-throw line.

The Baton Rouge, La., product also became the 12th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points and was named the SAA Tournament MVP.
 
Making its fifth appearance in the SAA title game, the Majors advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the third time in school history (1994-95, 1995-96).

Millsaps will learn of its next opponent and competition site during the 2024 NCAA DIII women's basketball championship selection show. The program will broadcast at 1:30 p.m. CT on Monday on NCAA.com. NCAA first and second round action will take place, March 1-2 at 16 host locations.

No. 3 seed Centre (21-7, 10-4 SAA) forced 19 turnovers, but were outshot 37 percent (20-of-54) to 29 percent (20-of-69) on Sunday. The Majors controlled points in the paint (32-18) and bettered the Colonels with fast break opportunities (15-6).

Sophomore Elyse Warren, along with Franklin, was selected to the SAA All-Tournament Team. Warren netted eight points, 11 rebounds and one steal.

Junior Whitney Novak (four points) was a force defensively grabbing a career-best 10 rebounds, all on the defensive side of the court. Freshman Garin Freeman was strong with seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

The title contest was a thrilling matchup with eight ties and 11 lead changes. The largest lead of the first quarter was three points as Centre held a 13-11 advantage through 10 minutes of play.

Franklin would race coast-to-coast in under five seconds to beat the halftime buzzer with what proved to be a crucial driving layup. The Colonels held a narrow 29-27 margin at intermission.

Bailey Rucker would give the visitors a six-point lead with a trey four minutes into the second half, but the Majors stormed back. Millsaps utilized back-to-back Helena Roe and Tia Anderson 3-pointers to help finish the third quarter on a 19-8 run and hold a 50-45 advantage.

The Majors appeared they'd run away with the game after Franklin hit an and-one jumper and free throw as Millsaps moved ahead, 55-46 with 7:50 to play.

However, Centre pulled within two points with 1:39 on the clock as the pressure mounted. Franklin then sank 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to keep the Colonels down for good. Centre hit a 3-pointer, but it was too little, too late as the Majors advanced with an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament following a 68-63 thrilling decision.

The schedule for the 2024 NCAA DIII women's basketball championship is listed below (subject to change):

• First-and-second round games will be played on March 1-2 from 16 on-campus sites.
• The sectional rounds will be played on March 8-9 from four on-campus sites.
• Semifinals and championship games will be played on March 14 and March 16 from Capital Center Performance Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The tournament will consist of four regions of 16 teams each. Regional play will be hosted by the top 16 national seeds in the tournament. A total of 42 teams will qualify by earning an automatic bid as conference champions, 21 teams will earn at-large bids and one team will be selected from a group of conference champions that do not meet the requirements for automatic selection.

Live video and live stats for all upcoming NCAA postseason games can be found at gomajors.com.

2024 SAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

A'niya Lagarde – Rhodes
Kenadie Lee – Berry
Makaya Grinter – Centre
Lilly Reid – Centre
Haley Franklin – Millsaps
Elyse Warren – Millsaps
MVP – Haley Franklin – Millsaps

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
No. 1 Millsaps 68, Centre 63


To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps women's basketball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.