MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Millsaps men's basketball team slipped to Rhodes College, 80-62 in the Southern Athletic Association Opener inside the Mallory Gymnasium on Sunday.
Junior Caleb Kent led the Majors in scoring with 16 points, while adding three steals, two assists and a pair of rebounds.
Senior Nicholas Ughovwa posted 11 points, seven rebounds and an assist. Classmate Drew Roth finished with 10 points and four rebounds against the Lynx.
Graduate TJ Hogan (six points, two rebounds, one steal) and Kent were both a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Millsaps (2-12, 0-1 SAA) bettered Rhodes (9-6, 2-0 SAA) from inside the paint (34-24).
The Lynx outnumbered the Majors, 18-8 in second chance points, while holding narrow margins in points off turnovers (12-10) and on the fast break (16-14).
Rhodes scored 11 first-half three-pointers and shot 52.4 percent from beyond the arch in the opening 20 minutes.
In the first half, Millsaps took an early 4-1 lead following a driving layup from Kent and a turnaround jumper by Ughovwa.
Soon afterward, Rhodes made three consecutive treys to take a 10-4 lead.
With 10:26 remaining in the opening half, Kent's floating jump shot shortened the host's lead to one point. Sophomore Noah Babineaux (career-high four blocks and two steals) stole the ball on defense and made a layup on the other side of the court moments prior.
Ughovwa scored on an ensuing layup to close a 9-0 Major run and give the team a 26-25 lead.
Millsaps stayed competitive with the Lynx as a Kent turnaround shot tied the contest at 41-41.
The Lynx managed to score in the final seconds of the half with a hook shot and driving layup to go into halftime out front, 45-41.
In the second half, the Majors fell behind, 63-48 with 12:32 remaining on the clock.
Millsaps would stay behind the remainder of the contest as Rhodes secured an 80-62 victory on Sunday.
The Majors will be back in action to face off against Hendrix in conference play, beginning at 3 p.m. in Conway, Ark. on Tuesday. Live video and live stats will be provided at gomajors.com.
To keep updated with everything surrounding the Millsaps College men's basketball program this season 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.
