The Oglethorpe women's basketball team suffered its sixth straight loss Sunday afternoon in a 77-40 defeat to Rhodes in Memphis, Tenn.
The Stormy Petrels found themselves taken out of the game early, as the home-standing Lynx outscored them 46-18 over the course of the opening half of play. The worst of it came during the final nine minutes of the half, in which Rhodes outscored the Petrels 14-2, and 14-0 at one point during the run.
Over the course of the half, the Petrels shot 30 percent from the field, 17 percent from long distance, and 33 percent from the line. In comparison, Rhodes shot 53 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range, and 80 percent from the charity stripe. The Lynx also collected 11 assists to Oglethorpe's three and only turned the ball over three times to Oglethorpe's 14.
In the second half, an 8-0 run over a 1:43 span extended the Rhodes advantage to 59-24. The Petrels went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 61-32 with 9:51 left, but the damage was already done, and Rhodes easily pulled away for the 37-point victory.
The Petrels actually shot the ball worse in the second half, though so did Rhodes. Oglethorpe shot at a 28 percent clip from the field, 20 percent from long distance, and 83 percent from the free-throw line, while Rhodes shot 37 percent from the field, 36 percent from beyond the arc, and 83 percent from the free-throw line. The Lynx outscored Oglethorpe 31-22 over the course of the period.
For the game, the Petrels shot 29 percent from the field, 19 percent from beyond the arc, and 58 percent from the line, while Rhodes converted at 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from distance, and 82 percent from the line. Rhodes finished with 17 assists to Oglethorpe's five and turned the ball over 10 times to Oglethorpe's 24. Rhodes outscored the Petrels 31-7 off turnovers, 13-4 in second-chance points, and 10-0 on the fast break.
The Petrels did hold their own in the paint, and outscored the Lynx 23-11 off the bench. Freshman guard Ciara Hughes played a large part in both, as she scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.
With the loss, the Petrels fall to 3-11 on the year, 1-2 in SAA competition. That places them currently in a fourth-place tie in the SAA, as four teams are log-jammed at 1-2. The Petrels will try to recover as they come back home for five straight SAA contests starting next weekend, when they take on Berry, who they already beat on the road in December, at 6 p.m. Saturday in Dorough Field House.