SHERMAN, Texas - Trailing by three late in the first half, 10 unanswered gave the Gents the lead for good to give first year head coach Chris Dorsey his first win as the head coach of the Maroon and White as Centenary (1-1) knocked off Millsaps (0-2) 74-66 in the final game of the first day of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference/Southern Athletic Association Classic Saturday night, November 18.
Centenary led for most of the first half, but a 9-2 run put the Gents in a three-point hole with 3:34 until intermission. Junior Kaharri Carter hit 3-of-4 from the charity stripe to tie the game, and a layup while being fouled by junior Hayden Clason put Centenary in the lead for good in the contest. Clason converted the free throw, and another Carter layup pushed the lead to five. Senior Travion Kirkendoll punctuated the run when Carter grabbed a steal and found his teammate for a fastbreak dunk.
Millsaps split from the line with about a minute remaining to cut the lead to 36-30, but neither team scored the rest of the half.
Averaging more than 30 points per game early in the season, Kirkendoll poured in 28 points to lead all Centenary scorers. Carter came off the bench for 12 while sophomore Cedric Harris contributed 11 points. Harris grabbed nine boards for the second-straight game to begin 2017-18.
The Majors cut the lead to one with 10:28 minutes to play, but the Gents defense dug in and allowed no points in four minutes to increase the lead to seven. Harris hit a triple and junior Regis Johnson hit a free throw to push the lead to five. Centenary did not score for the next two minutes, but a pair from the line by Carter increased the lead to 55-48 with 6:22 left in the game. The Maroon and White never led by less than three the rest of the way and hit 8-of-9 from the line in the final four minutes.
Millsaps cut the deficit to three with 4:34 left, but a foul while Harris nailed a triple pushed the lead to more than a possession for good. He made the free throw to quickly put Centenary back up seven.
While Centenary only held 43-36 edge on the boards, the Gents used a decisive 17-7 in offensive boards and a 14-4 edge in second chance points in the win.
Millsaps trailed 22-18 early before a 9-2 run gave the Majors its largest lead of the game. James Turner hit a three, while Joshua Miller made a fastbreak layup off a steal. After a layup by freshman KJ Bilbo gave the Gents the lead back momentarily, Miller hit a pair from the line and Sam Kohnke made a layup as Millsaps led 27-24.
She'Chem Grant and Michael Sullivan paced Millsaps with 13.
Centenary concludes the weekend Sunday, November 19, when it takes on Hendrix on the final day of the SCAC/SAA Classic.