MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Rhodes men's basketball team stays atop the Southern Athletic Association race with a big win on Friday, downing Centre College 74-67
 
The Lynx improve to 12-3 on the season and 5-0 in league play while the defending SAA Champion Colonels fall to 11-4 on the year and 2-3 in conference play.
 
Centre got things rolling with a Tyler Wesley dunk and Mike Geegan three to start the contest and take the early 5-3 lead. But that would be the last lead the Colonels would see in the half, as Rhodes answered with Luke Collins bucket and Brennan Sullivan trey to take an 8-5 advantage with 17:40 to play.
 
The Lynx worked to steadily widen the gap, and by the 13:17 mark had built their advantage to double digits at 21-11 after a pair of Drew Miller three's. Head coach Mike DeGeorge's squad held on to their substantial lead until the Colonels, with the aid of a 12-4 run, whittled down the Lynx lead to 33-32 by the 5:58 mark.
 
Rhodes was able to close out the half strong, and with an 8-1 run, fueled by a pair of three's from Keyshawn Butts and a Matt Wagner lay-in, the Lynx took a 44-36 lead into the break.
 
At the half, Rhodes was led by Miller and Sullivan, who each tallied nine, with Miller shooting 3-3 from beyond the arc. Butts chipped in eight, with six points each for Collins and Wagner. The Colonels were led by Blake Scinta who had 10 at the break, with Geegan netting seven.
 
The Lynx fired a hot 68.0 percent from the field, with a scorching 80.0 percent from three point land. The Colonels shot 52.6 percent in the opening period, and a commendable 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.
 
In the second half, Centre slowly worked to etch away the Lynx lead, and by the 9:32 mark, they did just that as a pair of Scinta free throws knotted the contest at 50-50. The Lynx wouldn't hang around for long, as a six point swing, with baskets from Wagner, Sullivan and a pair of Collins free throws gave Rhodes a 56-50 edge at the 6:19 mark.
 
A pair of deep trey's from Collins and Sullivan, paired with a Sullivan weave through the lane at the 2:22 mark, gave Rhodes a crucial double-digit lead at 66-56. The Lynx had a strong showing from the charity stripe to finish the game, and held on for the 74-67 win.
 
The Lynx were led by Sullivan, who finished with 20 points, shooting 8-12 from the field, and 4-7 from beyond the arc. A heartfelt performance from senior Collins amounted to 15 points, six assists and three rebounds, with Collins shooting 8-8 from the free throw line. Miller also finished with nine points, and Butts and Wagner each chipped in eight apiece.
 
Rhodes fired a hot 52.9 percent shooting, with a blazing 58.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Lynx notched 32 points in the paint, and forced 16 Colonels turnovers, which they turned into 16 points.
 
Centre's efforts were led by Scinta, who scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds. Josh Karsner added 15 points, with Geegan chipping in 12. Matt Gump worked into double digits, with 10 points. The Colonels shot 41.3 percent from the field in the game, and only 35.0 percent from beyond the three point arc.
 
Rhodes will be back in action on Sunday, Jan. 25 when the Lynx play host to their interstate conference rivals Sewanee at 3 p.m.