SEWANEE, Tenn. – Sophomore
Reid Carrier netted a career-best 25 points and
Luka Avaliani and
Fletcher Bigham each collected 18, helping Sewanee erase a 19-point first-half deficit en route to an 86-75 win against Millsaps College in men's basketball action here Sunday at Juhan Gymnasium.
Carrier broke out of a scoring slump with his first double-figure scoring outing since January 2, hitting all 11 attempts at the foul line and 6-for-11 overall from the field. Carrier has started the last two games in place of an injured
Russ Marr.
The Tigers (12-6, 4-1 SAA) trailed 23-4 less than eight minutes into the contest after Millsaps made 10 of its first 18 shots, including eight points from Dakota Gasca. Meanwhile the Tigers committed five turnovers that led to nine Majors points and the visitors were getting extra shots via offensive rebounds, with six second-chance points. Millsaps shot 57 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.
Sewanee cut into the deficit little-by-little and used a 15-2 run near the end of the period to trail 45-41 at intermission. The Majors (3-15, 1-4) finally cooled off from the field in the second half, though six Tigers turnovers in the first eight minutes allowed the game to stay within four points.
Tre Corrigan's 3-pointer four minutes into the second period gave Sewanee its first lead of the game, but baskets by Gasca and Mack Gorton put the Majors back in front, 54-53, with 13 minutes to go. The teams exchanged the lead six times in the next three minutes before the Tigers pulled ahead, 62-58, with a layup by
Eli Holland and then a triple from the corner from
Jimmy Mitchell.
Millsaps answered with six of the next seven points to regain the advantage, including a jumper by Samuel Holt, a layup from Nicholas Ughovwa and a floater by Caleb Kent. Corrigan's 3-pointer with 8:37 remaining finally gave Sewanee the lead for good, starting a 16-3 run.
Avaliani made back-to-back baskets and Carrier was fouled on a 3-pointer for the second time in the game, hitting all three attempts. Avaliani added two foul shots before a layup from Bigham and then a basket by Carrier, who passed the ball to Holland but it bounced off him and back to Carrier for a layup with 2:57 remaining.
Millsaps would not go away, though, netting six straight points, including two field goals from Gasca, but Carrier made a huge 3-pointer with 1:17 left on the clock and he and Avaliani were each 2-for-2 at the foul line in the last minute.
Graham Smith finished with seven points and 11 rebounds and Avaliani collected six boards and six assists.
Gasca paced the Majors with 25 points while Ughovwa registered 13 points and nine rebounds despite going 1-for-7 at the foul line. Roth collected 11 points and nine boards as well.
After trailing 23-4 seven-plus minutes into the contest, Sewanee finally found some footing just before the second media timeout of the game thanks to baskets from Avaliani and Bigham, both around the basket. Carrier was fouled on a 3-pointer outside the top of the key and made all three free throws and Corrigan connected on a triple, cutting the deficit to 27-14 midway through the period.
Bigham's bucket and a 3-pointer by Carrier made it a 10-point game with eight minutes left in the half. Roth and Gasca answered with field goals for the Majors and Matheus Siqueira's triple stretched the Millsaps lead to 38-23.
Sewanee put together a 15-2 run over the next four minutes, starting with two foul shots by Bigham and a layup plus the foul from Carrier. Bigham then tipped in his own miss and Corrigan got a layup after Carrier saved it from going out of bounds.
Gorton's layup were the only points during the stretch for the Majors, but a layup from Smith and two free throws for Carrier got the Tigers within four with two minutes left in the half.
Gasca scored on a layup plus the foul and Ughovwa netted a hook shot in the lane, pushing the advantage back to nine. Avaliani made one free throw and got his own rebound, getting fouled again and adding one more foul shot.
Avaliani went to the foul line again the next time down the floor, hitting one, and the rebound tipped off two Millsaps players out of bounds. The ensuing possession ended with a Smith 3-pointer from the corner, cutting the Millsaps lead to 45-41 at the break.
Gasca led all scorers with 15 points and the Majors shot 56 percent from the field despite only 3-of-11 from behind the arc. Carrier paced the Tigers with 13 point and Bigham added 11.
Sewanee and Millsaps play again, this time in Jackson, Miss., next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The Tigers host Centre College this Wednesday at 7 p.m.
