Brennan Sullivan can get buckets from anywhere on the court, but does most of his damage from beyond the arc. Rhodes Athletics photo

When you spend your high school basketball seasons and summers playing against some of the best ballers in the state of Florida – the group includes current Duke star Grayson Allen -- you either learn to rise to the occasion or fade from the picture.

Rhodes senior guard Brennan Sullivan recalls those moments when he was a standout at Bishop Kenny in Jacksonville, Fla., and how they all prepared him for life at the next level.

"It was cutthroat going up against those guys in the gym," Sullivan said. "Every day was about pride. I learned how to compete and I think it helped with me being ready to play in college."

Sullivan is in the midst of his best season yet with the Lynx, leading the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game, the third year in a row where his scoring average is in double digits.

He's made a living connecting on outside shots, drilling 67 3-pointers, and his play on game day has elevated the level of those around him.

"Being a shooter, if you don't guard me, I'll score 20," Sullivan said. "When teams do guard me, I have teammates that can make shots and it's helped me make the players around me better."

No one will deny the prominence of Sullivan's role for the Lynx this year, but when he entered the season, he wasn't sure exactly what his role would be on a team hoping to bounce back from a miserable 10-16 season that ended on a seven-game losing streak.

The style of play was going to change, mimicking to a degree the high-scoring offense Grinnell employs, that in turn would put opponents in an uncomfortable position.

"We had no idea how it was going to turn out and you wondered if this was going to be a championship approach for us," Sullivan said. "Everyone has bought into the system. It's working for us and the big thing is that everyone has a role in it."

That includes Sullivan, who is thriving for the Lynx, shooting nearly 47 percent from the floor, helping to fuel an offense that has scored 90 or more 22 times, including 100 or more 20 times.

The Lynx hit 90 only once last year.

Oh, and as for all that wondering about whether the new-look attack would result in success, well, it's paid off in a big way. The Lynx were crowned outright SAA champions after rolling to a 113-97 victory over Sewanee Sunday.

It's the second title Sullivan has been a part of in his career.

"This is the second time I've cut down the nets here and this time it's a little sweeter," Sullivan said. "To see where we started and not being sure of how it would all work out, it's a great feeling to win it."

The fact that Sullivan is part of the success at Rhodes is interesting when you consider he once wasn't sure if going Division III was the right move to make. He wasn't heavily recruited and considered going the Division II route.

"I had kind of a bratty attitude toward Division III," Sullivan said. "You don't really look at it as a high level of basketball when you are in high school."

His mind soon changed after talking with his high school coach, Jerry Buckley, and his father. His coach played at Catholic and his dad was a player at Johns Hopkins.

"They sat me down to look at the opportunity I had to come (to Rhodes) and once I came up for a visit, I felt like this was the school for me," Sullivan said. "We're Division III lifers in our family. I'm glad I made the choice. I owe it to my dad and my coach. They were great mentors and I would have missed out on a great opportunity had I not come here. I've developed as both an athlete and as a person."

Sullivan isn't done yet, though, as Rhodes will head into the SAA tournament as the top seed.

The Lynx, caught in the grip of a five-game losing streak earlier this season, have momentum on their side now, winning their last six games. Rhodes is 13-10 overall and 10-3 in the conference and is seeking its first NCAA tourney trip since 1993.

"We know our strengths as a team and it's a good feeling knowing we get to play the conference tournament at home," Sullivan said. "The most important thing for us is we need to stay focused and confident and just continue to be comfortable making opponents uncomfortable."

Yellow Jackets champs of the West

Howard Payne already had the ASC West Division crown wrapped up before its overtime loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor Saturday. The Yellow Jackets lost 79-75 in a wild game that featured 16 ties and 14 lead changes.

Sarah Castillo turned in a stellar performance despite the setback, scoring a career-high 28 points. She nearly came through with a double-double as she grabbed nine rebounds. Castillo blocked three shots as well.

Micah Cisneroz had a solid game as well for the Yellow Jackets, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the year.

Castillo and Cisneroz have been key contributors all year for Howard Payne, which is 15-9 overall and 12-3 in the conference. It has won four of its last five. Castillo is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game and Cisneroz is putting up 14.6 points per outing.

Schreiner makes history

For the first time as a member of the SCAC, Schreiner has secured at least a share of the conference championship. The Mountaineers are now seeking their first outright league title in the NCAA era of the program.

The Mountaineers are in the position after an 80-75 win over Austin Sunday.

Blake Kelley paved the way as he showed no signs of still being bothered by a recent illness. He lit up the scoreboard for 19 points and also grabbed 15 rebounds to record a double-double. Kelley is averaging 10.6 points per game and is grabbing 5.9 rebounds per game.

The Mountaineers have won three consecutive games and are 13-10 overall. They are 10-2 in the conference and can clinch the title and top seed in the SCAC tourney with a win over Trinity Thursday.

Warriors rolling along

Madison Martin recorded her third double-double of the year to help Hendrix knock off Centre 50-40 Sunday in SAA action.

Martin scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Warriors, who won their third consecutive game and are now 14-10 overall and 8-5 in the SAA. Hendrix is tied with Oglethorpe for third in the conference standings.

It was also a big day for Sara Dyslin, who scored eight points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked a season-high five shots. She also tallied two steals and two assists. Dyslin now has 100 blocks in her career and ranks second all-time on the career blocks list.

Dyslin leads the Warriors in scoring, putting up 18.1 points per outing. She is grabbing 12.3 rebounds per game as well and leads the team in blocks with 34. Dyslin is the only player averaging in double figures for the Warriors, who feature five other players putting up between five and nine points per game.

Eagles back on track

Emory ended a three-game losing streak Sunday with a 99-88 win over Chicago.

Adam Gigax propelled the Eagles to the victory, tying his career high by scoring 36 points. The Eagles are 15-7 overall and 6-5 in the UAA.

Gigax was in a zone all day, hitting 13 of his 18 attempts and drilling five 3-pointers along the way. It marked the 18th time this season he has scored in double figures, including the third time he has scored at least 30 in a game.

Emory shot a sizzling 61.7 percent from the floor, the sixth-best shooting performance in program history, and the 99 points is the eighth time Emory has scored 90 in a game. Gigax has played a pivotal role in that offensive success, averaging a team-best 18.6 points per game.

Scots surging at the right time

Covenant is playing its best basketball at the right time of the year. The Scots won their fifth consecutive game Saturday with a 67-63 win over Averett.

Caleb Haynes paved the way for Covenant, pouring in 17 points to help lead the Scots improve to 13-10 overall and to 6-6 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Haynes, who is only a freshman, connected on six of his seven attempts from the field and is averaging 8.1 points per game. He has picked up his play during the win streak, scoring in double figures four times. He has scored in double figures eight times in all this year.

For his latest efforts, Haynes has been named the conference rookie of the week for the third time this year. He ranks second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting at a 61.2 percent clip.