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November
17, 2007
JACKSON – In
her first game back in the Hangar Dome after transferring following
her freshman season, junior center Jessica Bowie
made the most of her return, hitting a lay-up with 0.3 seconds
left in regulation to lift the host Majors to a 57-55
win over visiting Mississippi College on Saturday afternoon.
It marked Millsaps' first season-opening win
since the 2004-05 season.
Millsaps scored 24 points off 22 MC turnovers and knocked down
21-of-29 free throws,
including a pair from freshman Krista Clark in the closing seconds
that tied the game late.
The Majors opened the game on a 5-0 run off a Bowie jumper
and sophomore Megan Bauerle's three-point basket and held the
lead midway through the first period until the Lady Choctaws
put together a 16-7 run to retake the lead at 24-18.
Junior guard Deanna Powe sparked the MC run en route to a team-high
12 points in the game – nine in the
first half – using
a LaTrisha Matthews assist to knock down the three.
The two teams traded buckets the remainder of the half as Dickerson's
free throw just before the halftime buzzer left the Majors on
top 37-35 heading into intermission.
Neither team shot the ball well in the second half to keep the
score close, with Millsaps connecting on just 6-of-22 shots (27.3
percent) and
MC
hitting just 9-of-34 (26.5 percent).
After nearly five minutes of scoreless ball midway through the
final period, Casie Hilton's lay-up off a Powe steal put the
Lady Chocs on top
44-42
with 9:57
remaining – a
lead they
would
not
surrender
until
the final minute after four different ties.
A timely steal by JC transfer Tiffany Whitmore and a pair of
key free throws from Clark with 36 seconds left
tied the game at 55-55 to setup the Hangar Dome for an exciting
finish.
Following a missed jumper from MC's Kristian McCray and Bowie's
eighth rebound of the
game, second-year head coach Mary Bolton called a timeout at
midcourt with 17 seconds left on the clock to try and draw up
the final play.
The Lady Chocs defense held strong for 14 seconds and wouldn't
allow a Millsaps shot, forcing Bolton to use another timeout
with just 3 seconds remaining.
Out of the timeout, a slashing Bowie snuck in a lay-up to give
the Majors the 57-55 win.
For Millsaps, Dickerson led all scorers with 16 points and 11
boards whereas Clark and Bowie each chipped in 11 points and
a combined 14 rebounds. Powe added 12 points off the bench for
MC to go along with four rebounds and three steals.
The Majors will hit the road for their next three games and will
not return home until Sunday, Dec. 2, against the University
of Dallas. Game time is set for 3 p.m in the Hangar Dome.
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