The Oglethorpe University women's basketball team lost to Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, 87-85. Down by 9 at intermission, the Petrels stormed back to take a 12 point lead in the second half before the Lynx rallied for a dramatic home court victory.

The two teams traded baskets in the early going with Rhodes managing to scratch out a 32-30 lead as the half dwindled down. The Lynx carried momentum into the locker room by scoring 9 of the final 12 points to head into the break with their largest lead at 39-31.

The young Petrel squad regrouped, however, and turned a 50-44 Lynx lead into a 59-50 Oglethorpe advantage with 12:55 to play on the strength of a spectacular 16-0 run. After trading a few buckets, the Petrels used another burst that was capped by two of Katie Weeks' 30 points on a driving basket to give Oglethorpe a 12 point 67-55 lead, their largest, with 11:04 left. Chelsea MacDonald scored a bucket with 7:02 remaining to give Oglethorpe a 72-62 advantage but that's when the Lynx turned the tide.

The Lynx scored on each of their next four possessions while Oglethorpe coughed the ball up three straight times and suddenly the game was tied at 72. Rhodes took a brief lead before yet another Weeks basket tied it at 76. The Lynx used an 8-3 spurt to seemingly lock the game up before MacDonald sank a three-pointer, was fouled and made her free throw with only 18 ticks left to bring the score to 84-83. After two made Lynx free throws Riley Cerone scored an uncontested layup and Oglethorpe fouled with 5 seconds left trailing 86-85. The Lynx only converted one of two and the Petrels raced up the court with Weeks launching a potential game-winning three with two seconds left. The shot missed, however, and the Lynx escaped with the 87-85 win.

These two teams played an equally tight contest that Oglethorpe won on January 3 by the score of 70-69. The Lynx had a shot of their own to win that one come off the rim, much like the fate Oglethorpe suffered on Sunday.

The Petrels shot 45% (32-71) from the field, made 10 of 21 from downtown (48%) and outrebounded the Lynx 46-30 on the afternoon but were done in by costly 21 turnovers.

Katie Weeks continued her stellar Sunday play, posting the aforementioned 30 points on 12 of 20 shooting from the field. Junior Chelsea MacDonald turned in her best performance of the year by connecting on 9 of 13 shots including a red-hot 6 of 8 from beyond the arc for 25 points. Rena Crossland added 7 points and 8 rebounds while Sarah Giles led the team with 11 rebounds.

Oglethorpe is now 9-13 on the season and will return home to face Centre College this Friday at 6:00 p.m. on Pinholster Court.