It was a record-setting performance for the Oglethorpe men's basketball team Saturday night in a 120-104 victory over the Berry Vikings in Mount Berry. As a team, the Stormy Petrels broke the NCAA Division III single-game record for the most consecutive made 3-pointers without a miss, sinking 12 straight at one point. Individually, senior guard Mike Turner finished with 31 points on 11 of 11 from the field and 8 of 8 from 3-point range, tying the school record for most field goals in a game while shooting 100 percent and breaking the same record for 3-point shots. Meanwhile, the 224 combined points scored by the Petrels and Vikings tied the Oglethorpe school record for most combined points in a game. Most importantly, Oglethorpe moved to 3-4 on the season overall and 1-0 in SAA play after picking up a road victory in their conference opener, overcoming a series of injuries that left them short-handed coming into the contest.
The Petrels shot 71 percent from 3-point range over the course of the game and made 20 threes, coming just one made 3-pointer short of tying the school record in that category, as well. This included their record-breaking 12 in a row at one point. That mark bested the previous record, set by Willamette against Western Baptist (now Corban) way back in 1987.
The Petrels shot 68 percent from the field overall and sank 72 percent of their free throws. It was the second time this season that the Petrels went over 100 points in a game, as they defeated Boyce 106-53 in Sewanee, Tennessee, on Nov. 19.
Turner became the second Petrel to surpass 30 points in a game this season, after junior guard Justin Edwards scored 34 on Nov. 26. He wasn't the only Petrel who had an outstanding day, however. Senior forward Drew Patrick continued his excellent work early in the season, coming close to a triple-double. He fouled out with four minutes remaining in the game, but finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. He also grabbed 3 steals and recorded a pair of blocks. Meanwhile, Edwards racked up 27 points off the bench on 10 of 16 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free throw line. He also collected 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Junior guard Chris Lawrence had 22 points on 7 of 11 from 3-point range and 7 assists, while senior guard George Andino finished with 18 points on 6 of 9 from the field and 4 of 5 from long distance.
The Petrels got off to an outstanding start early in the contest, going on an 11-0 run to start the game with an 11-2 advantage four minutes in. The Vikings used a 16-5 run to take a lead of their own, 20-18, with 10:14 remaining in the first half. It proved to be their final lead of the game, though, as Oglethorpe pushed it back out with a 23-3 run over the next 7:45 to push back ahead and extend their advantage to 41-23 with 2:29 left in the period. The two teams traded mini-runs late in the half and Oglethorpe held a 46-32 lead at the break.
The Petrels used another run to start the half, pushing their lead to its largest of the game. After a Berry basket to start, the Petrels embarked on a 13-0 run over the next 2:45 to build a massive 59-34 advantage with 16:39 remaining.
The Vikings began to work their way back into the game after that, though, using full-court pressure to bother the Petrels into 27 turnovers. They went on a 12-4 run to cut the Oglethorpe lead to 12 points, 63-51, with 13:35 remaining. This began a series of runs back-and-forth, as Berry would get back into striking distance and the Petrels would push the lead back out again. The Vikings got as close as 11 points, 82-71 with 8:12 remaining, but the Petrels were repeatedly able to push their lead back out to 20 points. They shot an incredible 92 percent (11 for 12) from 3-point range in the second half, allowing them to eventually secure the 16-point win. The scoreline of the second half alone was 74-72 in favor of the Petrels.
"That was a crazy game," said Oglethorpe head coach Philip Ponder. "I told the guys at halftime that they were going to come out and press us like crazy. We didn't handle it well at first, but we finally settled down and were able to outscore them in the second half. Obviously, we shot the ball extremely well. We had three guys out with injury, but we had several players really step up. It was a great team win and we are happy to start conference play with a victory."
The Petrels will go back on the road Tuesday night, when they head to the top of Lookout Mountain to take on Covenant at 7:30 p.m. After that, they'll travel to Macon on Wednesday to take on Division I Mercer in an exhibition game before taking two weeks off for exams.