DANVILLE, Ky. – The Millsaps women's basketball team took control of Centre College in a battle for first place in the Southern Athletic Association standings on Friday. The Majors bettered the Colonels, 74-61 inside Alumni Gymnasium.
Senior Haley Franklin led all in scoring with 23 points, while adding two steals and four rebounds. The Baton Rouge, La., native also shot 8-of-13 from the floor.
Sophomore Tia Anderson set a career-high with 19 points. The outstanding forward also established a career-high nine rebounds and was one board away from a double-double.
Anderson shot 6-of-8 from beyond the three-point line.
Classmate Garin Freeman stood out on the court with 18 points and eight assists. She also accumulated a block and three rebounds in 36 minutes against the Colonels.
Millsaps (16-2, 5-0 SAA) shot 51 percent from the floor (25-of-49).
Centre (13-6, 4-2 SAA) outscored the Millsaps bench, 37-27.
A Freeman spin-around layup gave Millsaps their first score in the first quarter.
Moments later, senior Whitney Novak moved the Majors ahead with a three-pointer at the top of the key.
The Colonels soon responded back with an answering trey to tie the contest at 5-5. Franklin utilized a nifty fade away jumper to give the Majors the lead back up to 8-5.
After a media timeout, Anderson netted a trey and Franklin scored racing coast to coast. Centre was forced to call timeout with Millsaps out front, 14-7.
Anderson would then drop back-to-back threes to close out the Majors in the first quarter. Freeman finished strong at the free-throw line to extend the team's margin to 21-9.
Millsaps held the Colonels to 26.7 percent shooting (4-of-15) in the opening frame. The Majors were also an efficient 63.6 percent offensively and 4-of-4 from long range.
In the second quarter, Millsaps continued to dominate on defense as junior Lexus Keyes grabbed a steal from her opponents. She made back-to-back layups afterward.
Franklin would not be denied as well when she converted an and-one opportunity, increasing the Millsaps advantage to 29-11.
With 6:35 remaining until halftime, Anderson continued to utilize the corner of the court to knock down a trey as Millsaps surpassed the Colonels by 21 points.
However less than two minutes later, Millsaps recorded their largest lead of the contest at 23 points as Freeman would sink a floating jumper inside the lane.
Freeman continued to go to work when she weaved to the net and scored despite being fouled. The and-one conversion stopped a slight Centre surge, making it a 39-18 contest.
The Colonels would end the second quarter at the free-throw line, but Millsaps' execution on both sides of the ball would close out the second quarter in charge, 39-22.
Offensive rhythm continued to be on display as Frank netted a smooth layup courtesy of a nifty Freeman pass to open the second half.
Anderson then kept alive her path of dominance by shutting down her foes with her second consecutive long-range makes to boost Millsaps up to 48-26.
The Colonels would continue to struggle as a team in the third quarter as Franklin's jump shot surpassed the host by 26 points.
In the fourth quarter, Millsaps continued to play at a higher level on both ends of the court.
The Majors also held down Centre during a 1-for-13 stretch from long range and kept the hosts at bay down the stretch.
Millsaps' team effort continued to play a huge role in their focus well into the fourth quarter as they bettered the Colonels, 74-61 on Friday.
The Majors will be back in action on Sunday to face Sewanee beginning at 1 p.m. in Sewanee, Tenn. Live video and live stats provided 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.
