DANVILLE, Ky. — Millsaps College women's basketball fell to Centre College, 72-70 in a tightly contested conference game decided by a late surge inside Alumni Gymnasium on Friday.
Millsaps (10-3, 1-1 SAA) led by nine points after the third quarter, but Centre (12-1, 2-0 SAA) rallied in the final quarter to secure the victory. Millsaps's effort was highlighted by 10 three-pointers and a 45-36 rebounding advantage, while the Colonels capitalized on 22 Major turnovers, scoring 29 points. Centre surged late, forcing 13 turnovers in the fourth frame.
Junior Tia Anderson contributed 21 points, sinking a season-high five of her attempts from beyond the arc, while adding three steals. It was Anderson's fourth 20-point scoring effort of the season as she paces the conference with 31 made 3-pointers.
Junior Garin Freeman scored 20 points and recorded a season-best 11 assists, leading the team with a double-double on the night.
Senior Elyse Warren, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week, recorded 17 rebounds and eight points, while collecting one steal against the Colonels.
Sophomore Anaya Lewis added seven points and five rebounds while also tallying one block and a steal.
Classmate Ashlyn Hafley and Anderson nailed 3-pointers as the teams traded treys in the closing minutes of the first quarter. Anderson sank back-to-back shots of her own to give the Majors a 19-16 advantage through 10 minutes of action.
Warren later scored the closing basket before intermission, giving the Majors a 31-28 advantage.
The back-and-forth matchup featured seven ties and three lead changes in the opening 20 minutes of action.
In the third quarter, the Majors started off on a 7-2 run to give them the largest lead of the contest at that point, ahead 40-32.
Midway through the quarter, Anderson continued to shine on the court by sinking a trey from downtown to continue the Major advantage to 47-35.
Millsaps then began the fourth quarter with momentum, extending their lead to 11 points after Freeman sank two free throws at 32 seconds in.
Lewis contributed a layup and a free throw, pushing the score to 61-50. Millsaps further increased the lead to 70-59 with 2:57 remaining.
However, Centre responded and gradually closed the gap, ending the game on a 13-0 run.
The Colonels eventually tied the game at 70-70 with 1:23 remaining. Centre then overtook Millsaps with a pair of technical foul free throws seconds later.
Millsaps eventually called a timeout with 15.7 seconds left. Out of the break, the Majors broke through the Centre defense but were called for too many steps driving toward the rim, attempting to tie up the game.
Centre later missed a pair of free throws before the Majors sent one final 3-point attempt at the rim, but it bounced just off to the right. The Colonels escaped with a 72-70 win in Kentucky.
The Majors next conclude their SAA road trip at Sewanee on Sunday. Opening tip is slated for noon with live video and live stats 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.
