MT. BERRY, Ga. — The Millsaps College women's basketball team fought off Southwestern University in the First Round of the 2026 Southern Athletic Association Women's Basketball Championship, 77-69 inside the Cage Center on Thursday.
No. 3 seed Millsaps (19-7) were led by junior Tia Anderson's career-high 35 points as well as classmate Garin Freeman's 28 points, which matched a career best.
No. 6 seed Southwestern (13-13) held a narrow lead entering the final quarter, but the Majors pulled out the victory late. The teams exchanged the lead eight times and were also knotted up on eight occasions.
Anderson dominated Southwestern by adding 11 rebounds for a double-double.
She also recorded one steal and an assist, while shooting 14-of-21 from the floor and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. The Majors needed every bit of her tremendous effort, seeing her connect at 67 percent.
Freeman looked unstoppable against the Pirates, where she shot 6-of-8 from the free-throw line and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Freeman also boasted eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals while playing all 40 minutes on the floor.
Senior Elyse Warren grabbed 10 boards, while sophomore Anaya Lewis finished with seven points and three rebounds.
The Majors got the scoring started with an Anderson trey on the very first possession. A two-pointer and a free-throw moments later by Southwestern would soon tie the early contest at 3-3.
Warren made her presence felt early in the first quarter with a powerful layup soon after.
With 3:09 remaining in the first quarter, the Pirates would take a 9-5 lead before Anderson answered with a layup and free throw to cut the deficit to one for the Majors.
Freeman got in on the action with back-to-back steals late and finished off the second with an acrobatic move and score to the hoop.
Senior Maddy Maw then grabbed a steal and drove the lane for a fastbreak layup in the closing moments of the opening quarter.
Millsaps would battle back to take a 16-13 advantage after 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, the Majors would continue attacking the Pirates down low as Lewis made a layup to keep the Majors on top, 18-15.
With 6:34 remaining in the second quarter, Southwestern would utilize a 3-pointer and the charity stripe, making two free-throws to regain a 24-23 lead.
Moments later, Anderson drained a three-pointer to cut down the Pirates' margin by two.
Freeman soon added a 3-point play after a scoop and score, while being fouled to give the Majors a 29-28 advantage with 2:35 left until intermission.
Southwestern swung back in attack with a pair of treys to push back ahead at 34-30. An Anderson tip-in layup would help the Majors keep up with Southwestern as Millsaps fought back down, 36-34 at halftime.
The back-and-forth first two quarters featured four ties and five lead changes.
In the third quarter, Anderson responded with an early layup after a defensive rebound by Freeman to draw the contest at 36-36.
After Anderson's layup, Southwestern boasted four free throws to push back ahead of the Majors, 40-36.
Moments later, the Brusly, La., product connected with back-to-back buckets while Freeman recorded a layup to put the Majors back in charge, 43-42.
Southwestern soon responded with a 12-5 run to garner a 54-47 margin in the Pirates' favor.
Anderson then drained a trey and Freeman connected on a layup as the third-quarter horn sounded, cutting the deficit down to 58-56.
Southwestern came out in the fourth quarter strong, building their narrow margin back up to eight at 66-58.
Millsaps would turn things around after an 8-0 run tied the game back up courtesy of Freeman's successful free throws and 3-pointer, putting the Majors back where they needed to be.
After the teams traded free throws, Anderson sank yet another 3-pointer to give the Majors a 70-67 lead with 2:43 on the clock.
Freeman continued her impressive work at the basket by making a nifty layup, which was followed by an Anderson bucket to give the Majors a crucial 74-69 advantage with a minute left.
The Majors iced the game away at the free-throw line and held off the Pirates for a 77-69 triumph.
The Majors will next face No. 2 seed Centre College (19-6) in the SAA Championship Semifinals, beginning at 1 p.m. CT on Friday. Live video and live stats will be available 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.
