San Antonio, TEXAS – The Trinity men's basketball team (20-5, 12-2 SAA) is gearing up for their first SAA Championships this weekend. They'll begin tournament play on Feb. 27, when they'll meet the winner of No. 3 Centre College (13-11, 6-8 SAA) vs. No. 6 Sewanee (10-15, 6-8 SAA). The championship will be played on Feb. 28.
SAA Tournament Preview
First-Round
No. 4 Millsaps Majors vs. No. 5 Southwestern Pirates
Millsaps (15-10, 6-8 SAA) enters the tournament off three straight wins, fresh off a 97-71 pummeling of last place Oglethorpe University. They've been lights out shooting the ball as of late, having made 54% of their field goals over the last four games. Over the course of the season, they've shot 45% from the field, but cashed in on just 31% of their threes. Their average rebounding margin of +4.7 has been a heavy contributing factor to their success.
The Majors are led by junior center Jaxon Toney, who averages 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on 57% shooting from the field.
Southwestern (12-13, 6-8 SAA) fell, 60-95, at the hands of Trinity in their last outing after shooting just 32% from the field and 21% from three. Shotmaking has been a problem for them all year long, hitting 40% of their field goals and 30% of their shots from deep on the season. They've been solid on the glass and holding onto the ball, but their struggles from the field have been a hindrance to their winning ability.
The Pirates are led by senior guard Shobby Enakpane, averaging 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 43% shooting from the field and 35% from three.
Southwestern and Millsaps have met twice this season, with the Majors taking both games by margins of 10 and 3 points. In their first matchup, the Millsaps took an 83-73 win by outshooting the Pirates by nearly 7% from the field and 16% from three. When they met last, on Feb. 6, the Majors outrebounded Southwestern by 20 to eke out a 72-69 win after losing the shooting battle by 8%.
No. 3 Centre Colonels vs. No. 6 Sewanee Tigers
Centre (13-11, 6-8 SAA) won four straight before dropping their final regular season, 89-91, to Sewanee. After defeating a strong Rhodes team in OT, 94-90, the slim loss came despite a strong all-around game from the Colonels in which they shot 49% from the field and 39% from three. They'll be looking to build off their strong momentum heading into the tournament, especially in the rebounding battle. They've lost the fight on the glass just twice in conference play, including a 29 rebounding win against Oglethorpe on Feb. 8.
The Colonels are led by red-hot sophomore guard Drake Ingram, whose scoring numbers have skyrocketed as he's transitioned into a starting role. Averaging 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 43% shooting. He's averaged 32.7 points over the last three games, including a 40-point outburst against Sewanee last time out.
Sewanee (10-15, 6-8 SAA) found a fleeting bright spot in their win against Centre after losing three straight games. They've been solid shooting the ball this season, hitting 45% of their field goals but just 32% of their three-pointers. Solid on the glass, with an average rebounding margin of +3.0 boards per game, their biggest detriment has been in holding onto the ball, averaging 15.2 turnovers per game while forcing 11.1 per game.
The Tigers are led by Fletcher Bigham, who averages 19.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 52% field goal percentage.
Sewanee has taken the best of Centre in both of their matchups this season, securing single-digit wins after outshooting the Colonels in both outings. The Tigers' turnover troubles were shunted in both matchups, winning the turnover battle by 6 in the first game and giving up just 7 turnovers in the second.
Second-Round
No. 1 Rhodes Lynx
Rhodes College (21-4, 12-2 SAA) will wait for the winner of Millsaps vs. Southwestern after securing the top spot in the SAA. The Lynx got back on track with two straight blowout wins after a slim loss to Centre, beating up on bottom-ranked Oglethorpe and Berry College to close out the year. They've been on a roll this year, holding an average win margin of 15.0 points thanks to their +4.2 margin on the glass and their ball security, giving up just 10.7 rebounds per game.
The Lynx are led by senior guard Phil Dotson, who averages 21.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals on 45% shooting from the field and 37% from three. He closed out the year with a 32-point performance against Berry, capping off a four-game stretch in which he averaged 25.5 points per game.
