MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – The Millsaps women's basketball team put up a strong fight in their regular-season finale but fell short to Berry College late in the second half, 74-65 inside the Cage Center on Sunday.
Sophomore Garin Freeman led the Majors with 16 points. The guard shot 6-for-13 from the floor and 4-for-5 at the foul line.
Freeman also recorded four rebounds, three assists and two steals. She tied a career-high with two blocks.
Senior Haley Franklin posted 15 points, six rebounds, two blocks and three assists. She tied a career-best four steals in 39 minutes.
Junior Lexus Keyes set a season high with 14 points. Keyes added three rebounds, two steals and one assist to her accolades.
Sophomore Tia Anderson accumulated 10 points, five rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block against the Vikings.
Millsaps (21-4, 10-2 SAA) topped Berry (18-7, 8-4 SAA), 32-26 in points inside the paint and 13-10 in fast break points. The Vikings outnumbered the Majors, 8-2 in second chance points.
Berry also led 25-15 in points off turnovers and shot 46.7 (7-for-15) from three-point shooting. The hosts also held a 48-28 scoring advantage off the bench.
In the first quarter, Berry established an early 5-0 lead with a three-pointer and two free throws.
A few minutes later, Freeman contested a block defense.
The Little Rock, Ark., native then made layup to cut the host lead down by one, 5-4.
Moments afterwards, a Freeman free throw gave Millsaps their first lead of the contest at 6-5.
Closing out the first quarter on a strong note, Franklin made a layup that put the Majors ahead, 11-8 in a closely contested matchup.
In the second quarter, Millsaps extended their lead to 16-8 after Novak made a three-pointer.
With 2:37 remaining until halftime, Berry made a jump shot, narrowing their deficit to 23-22.
However, 26 seconds later Berry regained the lead with a jump shot, bringing the score to 24-23.
Anderson responded with a two-pointer, putting Millsaps back in the lead by one point at halftime.
In the third quarter, both teams exchanged points continuously.
Berry took their largest lead of the contest at 49-35, following a jumper with 1:49 remaining in the third.
Early in the fourth quarter, a trio of successful layups by Franklin and Freeman narrowed the contest down to just two points, with a score of 49-47.
However, Berry expanded their lead to 10 points following a three-pointer and free throw.
Down 69-62 with 1:12 remaining, Anderson and Keyes both recorded steals on defense.
Franklin then contested a steal before making a layup and a free throw on the following possession to cut the deficit to 70-65.
Berry closed out the game with two free throws and a layup, securing a 74-65 victory on Sunday.
The Majors will next host the 2025 Southern Athletic Association Women's Basketball Championship, Feb. 28 and March 1. The matchups will be determined next weekend while the Majors are on their first-round bye.
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.
