JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps women's basketball team defeated Centenary College, 78-53, inside The Hangar Dome on Friday night as the Majors held down every statistical category against their opponent, improving to 3-0 on the season.
Controlling the game from start to finish. The Majors capitalized on Centenary's 24 turnovers, converting them into 30 points, and out-rebounded their opponents 33 to 26.
Millsap's efficient shooting, including 11 three-pointers, helped build a commanding lead by halftime. Centenary managed to close the gap slightly in the second half but was unable to overcome the deficit.
Tia Anderson led the team with a career-high of 22 points, converting four 3-pointers, and added two blocks and two steals. She shot 8-of-11 from the floor and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc while shooting 2-for-3 from the charity stripe.
Junior Garin Freeman contributed 12 points, successfully making eight free throws and delivering eight assists.
Senior Lexus Keyes scored 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers and shooting 6-for-10 from the field.
Sophomore Ashlyn Hafley finished with eight points, going perfect from the field, including two 3-pointers.
In the first quarter, Anderson could not be stopped, putting the Majors ahead early with a nifty layup inside the paint,
The Brusly, La., native led the Majors with a three-pointer outside the perimeter, and a steal on defense to give the Majors a 6-3 lead within 8:35 minutes of the first quarter.
However, with 6:40 remaining to go in the first half, Anderson would send back her opponent's shot with a block as the Majors held the Ladies by two points with an 8-6 lead.
With 4:46 remaining until the second quarter, Halfey dropped a wide-open three-pointer from the corner of the court to push the Majors ahead, 14-8.
Moments later, a jumper by senior Maddy Maw would continue the Majors' margin by 10 points as the Ladies continued to trail behind, 18-8.
Keyes, wide open at the top of the key, would net a three-pointer with 00:05 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Majors their largest lead by 12 points, ending the first half 22-10 against Centenary.
In the second quarter, Millsaps made three consecutive threes from Anderson, Keyes, and junior Mya Richardson, with Freeman contributing with each assist following great vision on the court.
With 07:27 left to go in the second quarter, sophomore Anaya Lewis took over the paint with a layup inside the paint to extend the Majors' lead to 33-20.
After the made layup by Lewis, Freeman would collect a steal and pass it to Anderson on a fast break layup to carry a 35-13 lead for the Majors.
The Majors closed the quarter with a commanding performance, highlighted by Hafley's three-pointer at 0:06, assisted by Freeman. The home team outscored Centenary 28-15 in the quarter, leading 50-25 at halftime.
Millsaps maintained its lead in the third quarter with a strong defensive effort and effective scoring in the paint.
Keyes initiated the momentum with a fast-break layup at 8:59, while Anderson's three-pointer at 6:58, assisted by Lewis, further extended the advantage.
Millsaps responded with consistent free-throw shooting, highlighted by Freeman's two successful attempts in the quarter's final seconds.
Millsaps outscored Centenary 16-14 in the third and entered the final quarter leading 66-39.
Millsaps maintained its lead in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Lewis's early three-point play at 9:49, assisted by Keyes, which set the tone.
Keyes continued to contribute significantly, adding a layup at 6:24 and a three-pointer at 5:47, further extending the lead. Despite the Ladies' efforts, including a three-pointer
Millsaps held firm defensively with a block by sophomore Dove Leach at 5:09 minutes to go. The game concluded with a final score of 78-53, securing the victory for Majors.
The Majors will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 18 to face Belhaven beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside the Hangar Dome. Live video and live stats will be 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 and 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.
