SUWANEE, Ga. - Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference action picked back up over the New Year's weekend as a total of nine league games were played. Colorado College (4-0 SCAC) and Centre (3-0 SCAC) are the lone unbeaten teams in conference play as the New Year begins.

AROUND THE SCAC

Austin College split its two games during the weeks of Dec. 20-Jan. 2. The Kangaroos picked up an 80-77 home win over Southwestern on New Year’s Eve. Jordan Hancock led Austin College’s four players in double-figures as he poured in a game-high 20 points on 7 of 18 shooting. Also scoring in double-figures for the ‘Roos was Scott Straley (14), Austin Brewster (12) and Josh Saunders (11). Hancock added four assists to go along with his three rebounds. Austin College could not overcome Trinity’s white-hot shooting as the ‘Roos dropped a 90-80 decision to the Tigers on Jan. 2. Trinity shot a sizzling 21 of 28 (75 percent) in the first half and opened a 12 point halftime lead. Five Austin College players scored in double figures led by Saunders’ 18. Hancock (17) and Straley (16) also added strong performances in the loss.
 
Birmingham-Southern was at home this week and picked up two conference wins, defeating Sewanee on Friday and Oglethorpe on Sunday. The Panthers have now won 22 straight home games dating back to the end of the 2008-09 season. They own an overall record of 9-1, and are led by junior Jasen Jonus with 15.2 points per game, sophomore Zac Richards with a .698 field goal percentage and 5.3 rebounds per game, and sophomore Blaise White with 2.6 assists per game. BSC is at home again this weekend, taking on Rhodes on Saturday at 5 p.m.
   
Centre went 2-1 on the week to improve to 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the SCAC. The Colonels hosted their annual Papa John’s/Country Hearth Inn Tournament and defeated Allegheny 70-53 before falling to Hanover 65-61 in the championship game. Centre then traveled to Greencastle, Ind. to resume conference play and left with a 62-54 win over DePauw. The Colonels have now won five straight over the Tigers and 14 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams. This is the fourth time head coach Greg Mason’s 12 years the Colonels have started the SCAC season 3-0. Centre plays road games against Sewanee and Oglethorpe this week.

Colorado College took over sole possession of first place in the Western Division with a 107-84 victory over Southwestern on Sunday. Nick Rose poured in a career-high 35 points. He made 13 of 20 field-goal attempts, including five of eight from three-point range. The 107 points were the most for CC since a 109-82 win against Tufts on Nov. 30, 2002. Jeff Smith made all four of his shots from the floor, including a pair from behind the arc, en route to a career-high 13 points. Colorado College closed out 2010 on a high note with a 69-54 victory over Trinity on New Year's Eve. Rose and Ryan Milne poured in 20 points apiece. Milne reached 20 points for the second time. CC began the week with a pair of losses at the 2010 D3Hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas. The Tigers shot just 34 percent from the floor and committed a season-high 28 turnovers as No.4 Wisconsin-Stevens Point cashed in for a 92-50 victory on Tuesday. Brady Ohlsen reached scored 13 points. CC then dropped an 86-59 contest to Whitworth the following day. Colorado College begins a run of four consecutive road games on Saturday at Austin, and then plays a rematch against future SCAC foe and long-time independent rival Dallas on Sunday.

Hendrix won two games over the last week and improved to 4-6 overall. The Warriors took down LeTourneau for the second time this season with a 75-61 decision on Thursday, and then topped University of Dallas, 71-59, on Sunday afternoon. Junior Nick Heathscott and sophomore Jaren Riley led Hendrix in both wins last week. Heathscott and Riley posted season-high performances with 26 and 18 points, respectively, against LeTourneau. The Warriors dominated the glass and out-rebounded their opponent 43-27. Heathscott then recorded his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Riley tallied 16 points on 10-of-10 shooting from the charity stripe against Dallas. The Warriors pounded the glass and out-rebounded the Crusaders, 40-28. Hendrix made its trips to the free throw line count and recorded a season-best 88.0 percent (22-of-25). Hendrix fell behind early but kept its deficit to just four points in the opening minutes. The Warriors would need just one lead change and a 21-2 run over an eight minute span to secure the decision. Hendrix took a 33-24 advantage into the break and would not let its lead slip under nine points the rest of the game. The Warriors eventually led by a game-best 18 points, 52-34, with 11:21 left in regulation.

Millsaps split two games at the Millsaps New Year’s Classic. The Majors (6-5 overall, 1-2 SCAC) opened up the tournament with a 59-56 win over Rust. Millsaps was led by Nick Cortese’s 18 points. Also chipping in for the Majors was Taylor Meades who scored 17 points in the win. Millsaps then dropped a 67-55 decision to in-state rival Mississippi College in the championship game. The Majors begin a crucial stretch in which four of their next six games are on the road. Millsaps returns to action on Jan. 7 when they travel to Trinity and then Southwestern on Jan. 9.

Oglethorpe split two SCAC games over the New Year’s holiday weekend. The Stormy Petrels got the weekend off in the right direction as they took a 62-50 win at Rhodes. Alex Richey led the way as he scored a team-high 15 points. Todd Ward also chipped in with 13 points as Alec Pitts and Alex Vital each scored 11 points to round out the double-figures scoring for OU. Oglethorpe then lost an 87-79 contest to Birmingham-Southern. The Petrels led the game 39-36 at halftime and actually held a 66-61 lead with just over six minutes left in the second half. Joe Kennedy scored a game-high 21 points while Pitts added 18 points in the loss.
  
Rhodes dropped both of its games during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. On New Year’s Eve, the Lynx were on the short end of a 62-50 decision at home to SCAC rival Oglethorpe. Sophomore guard Andrew Galow paced the Lynx offense as he scored a game-high 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting. He added four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the loss. On Jan. 2, Rhodes lost to in-state rival Sewanee, 65-63. Sewanee’s Valentino Bryant made a half-court shot with 0.4 seconds to lift the Tigers over the Lynx. Galow once again scored 24 points, this time on 8 of 14 shooting (4 of 5 from 3-point range) and also chipped in with three rebounds and three assists.
 
Sewanee picked up a thrilling victory over rival Rhodes on Sunday afternoon, dropping the Lynx 65-63 after freshman Valentino Bryant nailed a half court short with 0.4 seconds left to play. In the Tigers first game of the weekend, Birmingham-Southern topped the Tigers 85-61. Sophomore Trent Williams and freshman Anvil Nelson led Sewanee with 12 points and five rebounds apiece. Bryant added 11 and Brett Bouldin chipped in nine on perfect shooting from the floor. On Saturday, the Tigers were up 40-29 heading into halftime, but a spirited Rhodes effort, in which the Lynx held Sewanee scoreless for eight minutes, chipped away at the margin. Rhodes took a 51-50 lead late in the half before play moved back and forth until the final minutes. Sewanee was ahead 62-61 with 3.0 seconds left before Rhodes’ Andrew Galow nailed a lay up to put the Lynx ahead, 63-62 before Bryant’s game-winning shot. Sewanee is now 5-5 overall and 1-2 in SCAC play. They play host to Centre on Friday and DePauw on Sunday.
 
Southwestern had a rough end to 2010 and start to 2011 as they dropped their three games this week to fall to 3-9 on the year and 1-2 in the SCAC. Tuesday SU played host to Nebraska Wesleyan. The Pirates were down early and used a couple of runs to hang close but their final push fell short as they lost 74-71. It was much of the same on Friday night at Austin College. The 'Roos started out strong and took an early 11 point advantage but SU pulled back within one just before halftime. After the break Southwestern scored the opening four points and then hit a cold spell as AC mounted a 13 point lead. Southwestern pulled within two points three times but couldn't eclipse the summit and fell 80-77. The Pirates dropped a 107-84 decision on the road to Colorado College. SU returns home this week to host Hendrix and Millsaps.
  
Trinity went 2-1 overall last week, including a split of SCAC road games over the weekend.  The Tigers have won four of the past five games, following an 0-6 start to the season. After opening the week with a 65-51 home win over Nebraska Wesleyan, Trinity lost a 69-54 game at Colorado College on Friday evening. The Tigers did finish off the weekend on a positive note, though, earning a 90-80 win at Austin College. Three players averaged double figures over the past three games, led by Luke Caldarera’s 18.3 points/game. First-years Zach Lambert and Robert Kitzinger both finished with 10.3 points/game for the week. Caldarera had a team season-high 27 points and 11 rebounds in the SCAC win over Austin College. Caldarera has also moved up to 14th on Trinity’s all-time scoring list with more than 1,100 career points. He needs 106 more points to crack the top 10 at Trinity. Trinity will host its first conference games of the season this weekend, facing off against Millsaps and Hendrix.

For the complete SCAC Men's Hoops Weekly for Week 6, click here.