The Millsaps College women’s basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA Division III tournament after an 81-73 loss to host Bethel University on Friday. The game took place at Bethel, located in Arden Hills, Minnesota.
Millsaps, a small private liberal arts college in Mississippi, secured an automatic NCAA bid after winning the Southern Athletic Association championship. The Majors finished their season with a 21-8 record, marking their second appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament and their second conference tournament title in three seasons.
The game was closely contested. Millsaps was even with Bethel until the fourth quarter, when the host team outscored the Majors 22-15. Millsaps outrebounded Bethel 44-41 and had more fast break points, 9-7, but the Royals pulled ahead in the final minutes. Coach Jeff Wilber credited the team’s effort, saying, “We were a few plays away.”
Junior forward Tia Anderson led Millsaps with 24 points and tied for the team high with 13 rebounds. Elyse Warren, a senior center from Memphis, posted a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Warren said the hostile crowd did not affect her or her teammates, who are predominantly Black. Anderson emphasized the team’s resilience despite losing key players mid-season and rebuilding roles.
Assistant coach Ciara Jackson, the only Black coach among the four teams in the tournament, joined Millsaps last July after coaching at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. She highlighted the respect the team earned, noting, “Everybody in the gym probably now has respect for Millsaps.”
Last week also saw coaching changes in the region. The MIAC announced that Alicia Wood stepped down as St. Olaf’s volleyball coach after two seasons. Jared Drake left St. Scholastica after one season as men’s basketball coach, though no official statement has been released. Additionally, Coquese Washington was fired after four seasons at Rutgers, leaving the Big Ten without Black head coaches in men’s and women’s basketball, unless new hires are announced.
