MEMPHIS- The Centenary men's basketball team snapped a two-game skid as the Gents (2-3) grabbed a 65-57 win over Rhodes College in the first contest of the Crowne Plaza Thanksgiving Classic. The Lynx improved to 3-1 on the campaign.
Centenary placed four players in double figures led by a season-high 18 from Travion Kirkendoll. Fellow freshman Jacob Broussard tied a season-high with 12 points.
Kendall Demouchet added 14 points to mark his fifth straight outing in double digits while James Sapp supplied 11 points - his second consecutive in double figures and third this season. The sophomore equaled a season-best with 8 rebounds.
Centenary shot a season-best 47.9 percent from the field in the win while the Gents held the Lynx to a 38.9 clip which marks a season-low for the Maroon and White's opponents this season.
The Gents led by as many as 14 points early in the second half, but a 17-3 run by Rhodes knotted the contest at 47-all. The two squads battled back and forth eventually standing tied again at 53-all with less than three minutes to play.
Sapp broke the deadlock with an old-fashion 3-point-play with 2:27 left. Kirkendoll, 35 ticks later, knocked down a trey to put the contest out of reach as the Maroon and White connected on all four shots from the charity stripe down the stretch.
Geoff Livsey led Rhodes with 23 points and pulled down a team-leading 8 rebounds.
Centenary returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 30 as they face Illinois Wesleyan in the second day of the Classic. Tip is slated for Noon.