The Oglethorpe women's Basketball team capped off their game Friday night at Dorough Field House by winning in thrilling fashion. The Stormy Petrels had the ball with eight seconds remaining in the game, trailing the Millsap Majors 59-58. Sophomore guard Sydney Long missed on a 3-point attempt, but she was fouled during the shot with only 1.5 seconds left. Long needed to make two of her three free throws in order to seal a Petrels victory. She missed her first free throw, but connected on her final two shots, giving the Petrels a 60-59 win after Millsaps missed a wild shot at the end. The Petrels improved to 14-5 on the season and 7-1 in the SAA, allowing them to maintain sole possession of first place in the league. 

 

The Petrels had two players earning a double-double for points and rebounds. Freshman forward Savannah LeGate recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds, nine of which were on the offensive end. Junior guard Bailey Charles was all over the court earning 11 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals in 39 minutes of play. Sophomore guard Talyor Dodson led her team with 17 points. 

 

The Petrels won despite shooting just 25 percent from the field over the course of the game. They did it be dominating Millsaps on the offensive glass, outrebounding them 30-10 in the category. In addition, the Petrels forced 24 Millsaps turnovers and outscored the Majors 19-4 off those takeaways.

 

The Majors began the game pushing out to an 18-11 lead over the opening quarter. In the second, the Petrels began to connect on a few more shot attempts, but they were still shooting under 30 percent. The Majors also improved their shooting performance in the second, as they shot over 55 percent over the second 10 minutes. Despite both teams shooting improvements, the Petrels outscored the Majors 18-14 in the quarter. The difference maker for the Petrels was their offensive rebounding. The Petrels recorded nine offensive rebounds and refused to allow the Majors to earn any offensive rebounds in the entire second quarter. The Petrels entered halftime trailing 32-29.

 

In the beginning of the third quarter, both teams would exchange points with neither team creating any true advantage. With 2:29 remaining in the third, the Petrels were able to recapture the led, 44-43. Nevertheless, the Majors would go on a 6-1 run to finish the third period. The Majors entered the fourth quarter leading 49-45. 

 

In the final quarter, the Majors were able to extend their lead out to as many as eight points with 5:21 remaining, 55-47. From that point on, the Petrels locked in on defense and caught fire on offense. The Petrels went a perfect 5-for-5 over the next stretch, giving them the 58-57 advantage with 2:42 remaining. After Millsaps hit a go-ahead shot to take a 59-58 lead with eight seconds left, the Petrels would need a couple of key free throws from Sydney Long in the final seconds to help to them win 60-59. 

 

The Petrels will return to Dorough Field House on Sunday at 1 p.m. in yet another SAA matchup, this time facing Birmingham-Southern. Following that, the Petrels will remain at home to challenge SAA rival Hendrix next Friday at 6 p.m. The Warriors currently sit a game behind the Petrels for first place in the league.