JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps men's basketball team fell late in the second half to Rhodes College, 57-55 in a tense conference matchup inside the Hangar Dome on Friday.
Millsaps (11-6, 2-4 SAA) outscored the Lynx, 26-22 inside the paint while Rhodes (14-3, 5-1 SAA) distributed the ball well with a 16-9 assist advantage in a battle against the Majors.
Both teams were evenly matched throughout, with the game featuring five ties and nine lead changes.
Junior Davion James scored 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and recorded two assists. James also matched a season-high with four steals.
Senior Caleb Kent added 14 points and collected seven rebounds, while also tallying three steals.
Classmate Colt Donley converted 6-of-8 free-throw attempts, finishing with 10 points.
Kent opened the first half striking the Lynx with back-to-back buckets to give the Majors an early 4-0 lead.
Junior Rodney Phillips Jr. then found his range inside the interior with a powerful, spinning layup as his opponents struggled to guard him with both teams tied at 8-8.
With 14:15 left, James made a pivotal step back move, getting the fans rocking off their feet in the close competition.
James later added a trey with 6:44 left to pull the Majors back ahead at 19-18 in the low-scoring contest. Both teams were held to an identical 32.8 percent as both defenses were solid throughout.
Donley then completed a nifty layup at 3:38 left in the first half. The Lynx answered and closed the half with a slim, 28-27 margin.
Millsaps surged ahead with a 9-0 run early in the second half, highlighted by a steal and fastbreak layup from Kent at 14:40.
However, the Lynx methodically clawed their way back into the contest and with 4:33 sank a 3-pointer to grab 49-48 advantage. The lead grew to five points thereafter.
James looking for an opportunity late in the second half sank a huge layup with 2:17 remaining and later made two free throws with 51 seconds left, cutting the deficit to one point.
Rhodes answered with a steal and an and-one conversion, pushing the visitors' advantage to 56-52 with 23 seconds to go on the clock.
Putting the team on his back, James banked in a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining to force a timeout.
The Lynx sank the first of two throws and would miss the second, with the Majors trailing 57-55. Millsaps grabbed the rebound and raced up shooting a half-court attempt, which was rebounded near the Rhodes free-throw line. The ball was then sent up toward the hoop, but rimmed around and out as time expired.
Rhodes escaped with a 57-55 win, securing a season split with the Majors where both road teams were victorious.
The Majors will next embark on a four-game road trip, beginning at Berry College on Friday, Jan. 30. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live video and live stats provided 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.
