MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - The Oglethorpe men's basketball team got all it could handle from a game Berry squad Thursday night in Mount Berry, Ga., but emerged with a one-point victory in the end, 83-82, getting their SAA season off to a good start.
The Stormy Petrels found themselves in a precarious position in the second half, as they were down 72-66 on Berry's home floor with 6:54 to play. But the Petrels got a couple of turnovers to find their way back into the game and went on a 6-0 run to tie the game less than a minute-and-a-half later, 72-72. The two teams traded baskets for the next minute or so, but sophomore guard Drew Patrick hit a 3-pointer to give the Petrels a 3-point edge, 79-76, with 3:32 left. Berry came back to retake a one-point lead a minute later, but Patrick's layup with 2:15 left gave the Petrels the lead back. The Vikings took the lead one more time with 1:48 left, but senior guard Tyler Courson knocked down two foul shots with 1:13 left to give the Petrels the lead for good, 83-82. Neiter team scored for the remainder of the game. The two squads traded missed 3-pointers and Oglethorpe got an offensive rebound with 40 seconds left. They ran the clock most of the way down, but junior guard Alex Davis was called for charging with 9.7 seconds remaining in the game, giving the Vikings the ball back with a chance to win. They got a shot up, but it would not fall and the rebound bounced away long enough for the clock to expire, sending the Petrels home with the victory.
Courson scored 11 points in the half hitting 3-of-4 free throws, including the game-winning ones down the stretch. He grabbed five rebounds, passed out three assists and swiped three steals in the stanza. Berry shot 51.7 percent in the second half, outpacing Oglethorpe's 45.2.
In the first half, the Petrels shot the lights out, but Berry stayed in it with offensive rebounds and free-throw shooting. Oglethorpe shot 62.1 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from 3-point range in the first half, but Berry grabbed eight offensive rebounds and the Vikings' presence on the glass was a problem for the Petrels all night long. The Vikings shot 11 free throws in the half to Oglethorpe's four. The Petrels led 46-42 at the end of the first half in a back-and-forth affair.
For the game, the Petrels shot 53.3 percent to the Vikings' 50. Oglethorpe shot a whopping 57.9 percent from beyond the 3-point line, outpacing Berry's 33.3 percent in that area. Berry outrebounded Oglethorpe, 36-28, and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to Oglethorpe's 17 defensive rebounds. The Vikings also shot 23 free throws to Oglethorpe's 13. Berry outshot Oglethorpe 65.2-to-61.5 percent at the line. Oglethorpe outscored Berry 22-10 off turnovers.
Courson was the star of the night for the Petrels, scoring 20 points while contributing six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Davis had his best game of the year for the Petrels, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting while passing out two assists and swiping two steals. Freshman Connor Smith scored 12 points off the bench for the Petrels on 4-of-8 shooting and 3-of-4 three-point shooting, while Patrick poured in 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
The Petrels improve to 7-1 on the season with the win, 1-0 in SAA play. They return to Dorough Field House over the weekend for two big in-state game. They'll play Piedmont at 7 p.m. Saturday before welcoming in crosstown rival Emory at 7 p.m. Monday.