January 12, 2007

JACKSON -- Five different Majors scored in double figures and sophomore Chris Sanders picked up two of his four points at just the right time, tipping in an Allen Odum missed jumper with 0.6 seconds left to lift Millsaps to a 78-76 conference win over Oglethorpe on Friday night at the Hangar Dome.

With the win, Millsaps (8-6, 3-1 SCAC) improves to 3-0 at home and sits in a first-place tie in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference with Centre College, Sewanee and DePauw, while Oglethorpe falls to 6-6 and 0-4 in SCAC play.

Despite a blistering 67 percent shooting by the Stormy Petrels and a slight 13-11 rebounding edge in the first half, the Majors held a 43-34 halftime lead by knocking down 7-of-19 3-pointers.

Millsaps held a 12-point advantage midway through the second half, before Oglethorpe put together a 13-3 run to go up 61-60, including eight of Craig Jackson’s 10 points.

Minutes later, Lorenzo Bailey knocked down one of his four 3-pointers on the afternoon to give the Majors a 63-61 lead, a lead they would hold onto until Ahmad Kareem Shaheed’s pair of free throws with 5.0 seconds left tied the game at 76-76.

On Millsaps’ final possession before a five minute overtime session, the Majors pushed the ball down the floor where Odum’s jumper rimmed out and Sanders lifted the ball back over the cylinder as time expired to give Millsaps a thrilling 78-76 win.

Sanders only had four points and five rebounds on the evening but none bigger than the final two points and game-changing offensive rebound at the end of regulation.

For the Majors, Rodney Rogan had a team-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Bailey chipped in 13, Odum added 12 and Edrick Montgomery had 11.  Sophomore Chad Songy also had a huge game off the bench for Millsaps, pouring in a season-high 15 points, all from beyond the arc.

Kareem Shaheed led the push for the Stormy Petrels, chipping in a game-high 24 points and 18 boards on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 from beyond the stripe.  Arthur Pilkevich (11) and Jackson (10) were the other players in double figures for Oglethorpe in the 2-point loss. 

The Majors will put their 3-1 conference record and 3-0 home record on the line Sunday, playing host to the Sewanee Tigers at 1 p.m. in the Hangar Dome. 

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1240AM and will feature halftime entertainment by the Jackson Academy Little Dribblers.