LONGVIEW, Texas — Millsaps women's basketball senior center Elyse Warren became the program's career rebounding leader, helping the Majors best LeTourneau, 76-67 inside Solheim Arena on Thursday.
Millsaps (8-2) capitalized on 14 steals and a 42-28 rebounding advantage to maintain control. LeTourneau (2-7) kept pace with the Majors' scoring in the final three quarters but could not overcome an initial 17-point deficit in the second frame.
Warren secured 20 rebounds, surpassing Miah Brooks (2012-16) and her total of 866 boards. It was Warren's third career 20-rebound performance as the senior now holds 881 career rebounds.
The Memphis, Tenn., product contributed her seventh double-double of the season as well, adding 16 points, a block and a steal. The Rhodes Scholarship Finalist also closed 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
Junior Garin Freeman scored 13 points and posted five assists alongside four steals. She also contributed four boards.
Classmate Tia Anderson was on fire in the matchup against LeTourneau. The Brusly, La., native led the Majors with a career-high 25 points. She also recorded nine rebounds, while adding three steals and a block on defense.
Anderson shot 10-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the long range.
Junior Bailey Johnson recorded a career-high 12 points while shooting 3-of-4 at the charity stripe. Johnson's trio of 3-pointers helped the Majors shoot 71 percent from downtown in the first quarter.
Millsaps jumped out to 10-2 advantage after an Anderson 3-pointer and pair of treys from Johnson.
Warren then made history by grabbing her fifth rebound of the game with 4:59 remaining in the opening quarter following a LeTourneau missed layup.
Anderson and Johnson later added long-range makes, while senior Lexus Keyes sank a nifty floater to push the Majors ahead, 22-9.
The first quarter then ended with a Freeman floating jumper just before the buzzer sounded. Millsaps finished the first 10 minutes with a 28-16 lead.
Senior Maddy Maw also pulled up from downtown and pushed the margin to 15 points at 39-24, midway through the second quarter.
Halfway into the third, the YellowJackets came to life and rallied for 11 consecutive points. The hosts cut the deficit to 57-50 before the quarter closed with the Majors holding a 60-51 advantage.
LeTourneau continued to claw back into the contest, but Anderson netted a long-range trey to make it a 65-58 with 5:15 remaining.
The game remained relatively close down the stretch. LeTourneau made it 73-67 after netting a 3-pointer with 28 seconds to go. However, the Majors iced away the game at the free throw line and earned a 76-67 triumph.
The Majors will take a brief holiday break and next return to action inside the Hangar Dome. Millsaps is scheduled to host the University of the Ozarks, beginning at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30. 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.
