The Oglethorpe men's basketball team finished its stay in Tacoma, Wash., with a perfect 2-0 record at the Doug McArthur Classic this weekend after defeating hosts Puget Sound, 87-68, Saturday night. The victory improves the Stormy Petrels to 4-1 on the season. 

The Petrels rained three-pointers on the home-standing Loggers, making 14 three-point baskets and shooting 53.8 percent for the game from beyond the arc. In addition, the Petrels shot 50 percent for the game and 84 percent from the free-throw line. Just like the previous night, they used a big first-half run to wrest control of the game away from their opponents. Then in the second half, the Petrels put the game away with a 30-15 run to start the period.

Sophomore guard Connor Smith led all scorers with 24 points in the game, a mark which included a 7-for-7 night at the free-throw line. Sophomore forward Will Perry turned in an excellent performance, as well, scoring 14 ponts on 4-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from three-point range and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and passed out three assists. Sophomore guard Romello Bates had an outstanding game off the bench, scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting while going a perfect 2-for-2 from both the three-point line and charity stripe. He also grabbed five rebounds and passed out two assists. Senior guard Alex Davis contributed a game-high eight assists, as well, while junior guard Drew Patrick scored 16 points on 3-of-6 three-point shooting and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.

After an 8-8 start to the game, the Petrels landed their first big blow with a 23-9 run. This gave them a 31-17 advantage with 7:17 remaining in the first half. The Loggers answered with a substantial run of their own before halftime, embarking on a 15-6 spurt to cut the Oglethorpe lead to just five points, 37-32, with just over a minute-and-a-half remaining in the period. At halftime, the Petrels held a six-point advantage, 40-34. 

An early 12-6 run to start the second half gave Oglethorpe their double-digit lead back, 54-42. After the two teams traded baskets for a couple minutes, the Petrels began the run which put the game away, outscoring Puget Sound 12-2 over the next five minutes to take their largest lead of the game, a commanding 70-49 advantage with 7:47 remaining. They pretty much maintained their advantage from there, still holding a 21-point lead as late as the game's final minute. The Petrels cruised to the 19-point victory.

"This was a big win for us," said Oglethorpe Head Coach Philip Ponder. "Puget Sound is one of the top teams in one of the stronger leagues in the nation. We put together another complete game, executing on both ends of the court. We are excited to get two wins on this trip and are looking forward to exploring Seattle some before we leave tomorrow."

Puget Sound was the runner-up in last year's Northwest Conference tournament, finishing 10-6 on the year during conference regular-season play. 

The Petrels will return to Georgia to take on in-state opponent Covenant on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The game will take place in Lookout Mountain, Ga., on the opponents' home floor. After that, the Petrels go back to Emory's campus over Thanksgiving weekend, as they'll play LaGrange and Maryville (Tenn.) in the annual Thanksgiving Classic on those two days.