Mallory Scores 42, Hawks Fall In Home-Opener To Millsaps

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- Taking to the court in Roland Arena for the first time this season, Huntingdon Men's Basketball welcomed Millsaps to Montgomery for a non-conference matchup. Despite Tyler Mallory's 42 points in his first game as a Hawk, Huntingdon couldn't find their footing early and fell into a hole that ultimately resulted in a 96-88 loss. 

First Half

The early stages of tonight's matchup proved to be highly contested- as the two teams traded blows offensively down the court. Tyler Mallory, Keyshawn Dickey, and Andersen Madyun each contributed on the opening possessions as the Hawks faced a 14-10 deficit by the 12:49 mark. This marked the beginning of a 18-5 run in favor of Millsaps, putting Huntingdon behind 32-15 with 5:11 remaining until halftime before the lead extended to as much as 20, 35-15, by the 4:39 mark. In this stretch, the Majors shot the lights out, limiting Huntingdon to just one make on eleven attempts on the other end to grab control of the game. Approaching halftime however, the Hawks found their stride, as Mallory, Madyun, Eric Moore, and Isaiah Knight led the Hawks on a 16-0 run to bring Huntingdon within four, 35-31 with 1:27 left in the half. The Majors managed to half the run with four points as the clock winded down, but another Tyler Mallory triple brought the halftime score to 39-34.

Second Half

Coming out of the locker room for the second half, it was all Millsaps early, as the Majors jumped out to a 13 point lead, 47-34, within the first minute. Isaiah Knight followed with his first three of the game at the 18:49 mark to keep the deficit at 10, which Eric Moore and Tyler Mallory followed to bring the Hawks within one, 48-47 at the 16:30 mark, but a 7-2 Millsaps run put the Majors back in the drivers seat with a 55-49 lead approaching the 14 minute mark. Coming down the stretch, the Hawks went cold again, and the Majors made the most of their opportunity, extending their lead back to as much as 17, 74-57, with 10 minutes remaining in the contest. Led by Mallory and Knight, the Hawks continued to battle, drawing within 8, 91-83, just inside of two minutes following Madyun's tough layup, but Huntingdon couldn't overcome their first half lull and complete the comeback, dropping 96-88 to the Majors. 

With his 42 points tonight, Tyler Mallory becomes the first player this season in the Collegiate Conference of the South to eclipse the 40 point mark in a single contest, and the first Hawk to do so in the NCAA era.

The Hawks will look to bounce back on Friday, November 21st at home against Welch College. Tip-off is set for 6:30 PM CT.