Millsaps Women’s Basketball Advances to SAA Championship with Win over Centre
MOUNT BERRY, Ga. — Millsaps College’s women’s basketball team secured a 67-58 victory over Centre College in the Southern Athletic Association semifinals Friday at the Cage Center. The Majors will play in the conference championship Saturday against No. 1 seed Trinity University.
Centre led in bench points, 23-9, but Millsaps held a rebounding edge of 46-43 and scored 30 points in the paint. Junior Garin Freeman scored 19 points, with six assists and six rebounds, including seven free throws. Senior Elyse Warren matched Freeman’s scoring output, also with 19 points and a game-high 21 rebounds. Warren shot 6-of-9 from the field.
Junior Bailey Johnson added 12 points, all from beyond the arc, making four of eight 3-pointers. Tia Anderson contributed eight points, six rebounds and two steals. The game started with Warren’s layup and Johnson’s three-pointer giving Millsaps an early 5-2 lead. Both teams exchanged leads throughout the first quarter, which ended with Centre ahead 18-14.
In the second quarter, Centre extended its lead before Millsaps responded. Mya Richardson’s three-pointer, along with Warren’s layup and free throw, trimmed the deficit to 23-21. Freeman’s euro step drove the Majors ahead, and Johnson’s long-range shot made it 26-23. Millsaps took a 30-25 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Freeman and Warren helped maintain control, pushing the lead to 41-35. Centre cut the margin to four before Millsaps pulled ahead again, 48-40, with 6:39 remaining in the quarter. The Majors led 51-46 entering the final period. In the fourth, both teams traded points, with Johnson hitting a clutch three to extend the lead to 64-57 with 50 seconds remaining. Warren then scored the final point from the free-throw line, sealing the victory.
Millsaps will face Trinity in the championship game at 2 p.m. CT Saturday. Live video and stats are available at gomajors.com. The team’s social media accounts and website provide updates on the program.
Millsaps College, founded in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1890, is a nationally recognized liberal arts college known for academic excellence, open inquiry, and social engagement. The college has been praised by several publications and organizations as a top value in higher education.
Source: Original Article
