CONWAY – Millsaps (Miss.) shot 64 percent (16-of-25) from the field in the second half en route to a 70-59 win over Hendrix in the season and Southern Athletic Association (SAA) opener for both teams. Friday’s contest was the first for each team in more than 300 days after COVID-19 delayed the start of the 2020-21 season by two and a half months.

Capacity inside Grove Gymnasium was capped at 100, with only current Hendrix students allowed at the Warriors’ home games in January.

Hendrix (0-1, 0-1 SAA) led by six points three times in the second half, the last coming midway through the period after a Craig Collier II basket made the score 43-37, but Millsaps (1-0, 1-0 SAA) closed the game on a 33-16 run. Cameron Williams scored five-straight points for the Majors, giving his team the lead for good with 6:18 to play after making the first of two free throws. The Warriors trimmed a double-digit deficit to seven after Seth Stanley converted a four-point play with 49.4 seconds left in the game, but his team would get no closer.

Cam Rucker paced the visitors with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Williams and Newlon Gillihan also finished in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Drew Burnett hauled in eight rebounds for the Majors.

Millsaps struggled from the field in the first 20 minutes, shooting just 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from the floor, 1-of-10 from distance and 0-of-5 from the free throw line and trailed 22-21 after Collier II hit a running 10-foot jumper as time expired in the first half. However, the plus-17 margin in the second stanza was spurred by a 55.6 percent (5-of-9) clip from beyond the arc and 71 percent (12-of-17) effort from the stripe.

Stanley scored a game-high 19 points, his 28th-consecutive game in double figures, and was perfect (5-of-5) from the free throw line. Collier II added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Alex Conrad pumped in 10 points and a game-high nine boards.

Hendrix shot 39.3 percent (22-of-56) overall, including 42.9 percent (12-of-28) in the final 20 minutes. The Warriors ended 8-of-10 from the charity stripe, all in the second half.

The Orange and Black committed 19 turnovers, while the Majors turned the ball over 18 times.

Hendrix hosts Millsaps a second time Saturday inside Grove Gymnasium. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. CT.

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JACKSON, Miss. – The Hendrix College men’s basketball team staved off a come back attempt by Millsaps College to win 88-82 at the Hangar Dome Friday night.

With the win, the Warriors improve to 10-10 and 6-4 in the Southern Athletic Association with four games left. Hendrix moves into a tie for third with Birmingham-Southern. The Majors fall to 4-17 and 1-9 in conference.

The Orange & Black pounced on the host team, jumping out to a 37-17 lead over the first 12 minutes. Hendrix led 49-35 at the half. The Warriors led 74-55 with 8:41 to play, but the Majors went on a 30-8 run to cut their deficit to 85-82 with 33 ticks left. Hendrix answered with a free throw from senior guard by Bryce Parker and two more from freshman Jacob Link to secure the six-point victory.

Six Warriors scored in double-digits while they shot 57.6 percent (34-of-59), their best performance in conference play this season. They also went 11-of-28 from three-point territory and 9-of-13 at the charity stripe with 29 rebounds, 23 assists, 14 turnovers, a block and eight steals.

Millsaps shot 45.9 percent (28-of-61) overall, 14-of-28 from outside and 12-of-16 at the line with 31 boards, 18 assists, 15 turnovers, a block and eight steals.

Hendrix Notes
– Link flirted with a triple-double for the second straight game, coming up with 18 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, a block and two steals. The freshman guard was 7-of-8 on shot attempts.
– Senior guard Aaron Steele netted 15 points.
– Senior guard Travis Garrett came up with 14 points, six boards, three assists and a pair of steals.
– Parker made four three-pointers for 13 points.
– Sophomore guard Preston Smith recorded 12 points, three assists and three steals.
– Sophomore forward Bryce Batchelor registered 10 points and four rebounds.
– Sophomore guard Michael Calamese dished out three assists.

Millsaps Notes
– Sam Kohnke led the Majors with 20 points and six assists.
– Brennan Gagen added 18 points and four assists.
– Buck Blanz scored 14 points off the bench.
– James Turner recorded 10 points, seven boards and two steals.

Up Next
Hendrix will face Birmingham-Southern in Birmingham, Ala. Sunday at 3 p.m. in a battle of third-place teams.

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