CLARKSVILLE, Ark. — Millsaps College men's basketball fell to the University of the Ozarks, 78-76 on Sunday in a thrilling contest at Mabee Gymnasium. Millsaps managed to close a nine-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Eagles 35-28 in the second half, but ultimately came up short.
The Majors forced 13 turnovers, converting them into 17 points, while the Eagles maintained a slight edge in shooting accuracy, hitting 11 three-pointers.
Millsaps narrowly lost its first contest of the season (5-1) and shot 57.1 percent from the free-throw line (16-of-24). The Majors were advantageous on second chance points, outscoring the Eagles, 13-0 in that category.
Junior
Jaxon Toney led Millsaps by scoring 16 points, adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Classmate
Davion James contributed 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and recorded a game-high four steals.
Junior
Colt Donley finished with 12 points, a block and collected five rebounds. Fellow third-year student-athlete
Cameron Lumar netted 11 points, an assist and a rebound.
Ozarks grabbed momentum early by sinking three 3-pointers to claim a 9-0 advantage out of the gate. Freshman
Luke LeFors sank a trey of his own to help pull Millsaps back, trailing 11-7.
James gave the Majors their first lead by connecting on a 3-pointer and sinking two ensuing free throws, pushing Millsaps up 22-20.
The second portion of the first half saw Millsaps battling to stay close, with Toney's a layup tightening the deficit to 32–34 with six minutes remaining. Although the Majors maintained offensive pressure, they ended the first half trailing 50–41, after a late three-pointer by the Eagles.
Millsaps initiated a comeback in the second half with a series of key plays, starting with Donley's 3-pointer two minutes in. The Newnan, Ga., product helped spark an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 57-51.
Following this, the Majors capitalized on turnovers and fast-break points to close the gap. Senior
Calab Kent provided a steal and sank a jumper with 9:12 left to tie the game at 64–64, showcasing the Majors' resilience.
Midway through the half, sophomore
Matheus Siqueira's 3-pointer at 4:26, assisted by James, gave Millsaps a brief lead after another 8-0 run.
However, the Eagles continued to connect from beyond the arch, sinking a pair of treys to lead 76-72 with 3:10 to play. A pair of Lumar free throws and a jumper tied the game again at 76-76.
Ozarks answered with a jumper of its own, recapturing the lead with 1:18 on the visitors' scoreboard. Millsaps would have three shots that wouldn't fall in its attempt to tie the game back up and possibly force overtime.
The Eagles withstood a shot with 54 seconds left with a block, survived a shot attempt with 18 seconds to go and grabbed a layup with a second remaining. Ozarks survived to claim a 78-76 win.
The Majors will be right back in action on Tuesday. Millsaps will travel across the street and face Belhaven, beginning at 7 p.m. with live video and live stats available at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College men'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.
