WINCHESTER, Va. - Shenandoah University opened up its 2012-13 in style Thursday evening with a 96-23 victory over Patrick Henry in the opening round of the 2012 BB&T Tip-Off Classic.

The win is the first for SU (1-0) in a season opener since defeating Frostburg State 75-73 in the 2009-10 lidlifter.

The Hornets will play Centenary (La.) in Friday's 8 p.m. championship. The Gents defeated Goucher 72-70 in the opening game of the tournament.

SU had no trouble with Patrick Henry (0-1), scoring the first six points of the contest and opening up 27-3 lead before the game was seven minutes old.

The bulge eventually reached 46 points, 57-11, by halftime as freshman Billy Brennan canned a 3-pointer just prior to the buzzer.

Brennan's 3-ball gave the bench 40 points in the first half.

Coach Rob Pryor continued that theme in the second, sitting his five starters for the entire stanza and keeping at least four newcomers on the floor for the duration of the contest.

After shooting 62.2 percent (23 of 37) in the first, the reserves shot 51.6 percent (16 of 31) in the second as the squad coasted to the 73-point victory.

SU reached the 90-point mark with 7:33 remaining and worked the clock for the remainder of the contest.

All but two players scored at least two points for the Hornets. The two who didn't, freshmen starters Shaquille Rodney and Corey Bedford, played just the initial six minutes of the game.

Freshman Will Baggett led the victors with 12 points while Jimi Starks had 11 andCorey Levenberry 10.

James Nelson had 14 points for the Sentinels.

The 73-points breaks the program record for margin of victory by two. SU defeated Valley Forge Christian 124-53 on November 16, 2001. That game was also in the opening round of the BB&T Tip-Off Tournament.

The 23 points allowed breaks the modern era record of 41 given up to Eastern Mennonite on November 26, 2002.