by Caitlin F. McCarthy
Executive Staff
After traveling six hours to Jackson, Mississippi, weary Tigers walked onto the court at Millsaps College. Together they rallied for the upcoming match up against the Majors.
The first 23:14 minutes of the game were rough for our beloved Tigers. Try as they might, they just could not score. Up and down the court they ran, over and over, blocking, shooting, running plays. Despite these efforts they just could not seem to get a basket past the Millsaps team.
Finally, guard-forward Marcellus Caldwell (C’15) decided it was time to end the 7-0 lead against Sewanee, and scored an awesome shot. Shortly thereafter, forward Keshonn Carter (C’16) scored a jump shot. Some back-and-forth followed, but each time the Majors came out on top. Their detrimentally slow start at the beginning of the game put them behind, and the Tigers simply could not catch up. At the conclusion of the first half, the Majors were winning 19-12.
If there is one thing the Sewanee men’s basketball team is known for, other than their dashing good looks and gentleman charm, it is their commitment to resilience. After halftime, the Tigers stormed the court, determined to show the Majors they had not given up just yet.
Immediately shooting for 9 points, and successfully making 7 of those, they managed to cut down the Majors lead to four, a simple two baskets. Millsaps was getting increasingly nervous as the clock struck down to a remaining 16:32. The margin stayed this way for a significant part of the second half until finally, the Majors calmed their nerves and came out even stronger than at the beginning of the game.
As one of the Millsaps players made both free throws, the potential of a win for Sewanee steadily decreased. Unable to close the gap, block multiple three pointers – totaling 12 successful points, or make the majority of baskets left the Tigers with their tails between their legs as the final score read 63-51, Millsaps. However, there is a definite silver lining. Both Caldwell and Carter scored in the double digits with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
In conclusion, the Tigers are determined to see their season through successfully. After the game, Caldwell told the Purple, “It was a win we really needed as team but we couldn’t put together a consistent effort for the entire 40 minutes. The win could have given us a lot of momentum to close the season with and now we’re still searching for an important conference win to end our drought. This team is resilient however, no matter what we will always give our best effort and if we can combine that effort with smart play and good execution this weekend, we will gain momentum and make a lot of noise.” As the last games quickly end, the men’s basketball team wants to make their fellow teammates, families, friends, coaches, and fans proud. They appreciate the outpouring of support from our community as they continue to work extremely hard to be the very best team in the SAA.