ATLANTA – In an intense home opener, the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels suffered an 87-82 loss against the Transylvania Pioneers.
Ten Petrels made their way into the scoring column, with four of them in double digits. Senior Uba Ezigbo recorded a career high 27 points, followed by Ryan Jenei with 12, Trey Harris with 11, and sophomore Dylan Bennifield matched his career high of 10 points. Bennifield also led in steals and assists, recording a career high of five assists.
"Transy is a good team," said Head Coach Philip Ponder after the game. "We had several rookie mistakes in the first half, but we still had a one-point lead at the half. We just had a really bad four or five minute stretch about five minutes into the second half that really hurt us and put us in a big hole. I was proud of how the guys battled back and made a nice run ourselves. We are still a work in progress, but I like our potential. We will look to bounce back on Sunday."
Transylvania quickly produced a five-point lead as the game began, until Malachi Dooley assisted Ezigbo in the first basket for the Petrels. From there, the Petrels and the Pioneers would go back and forth until a 3-pointer from Ezigbo would tie the score at 22-22 with over eight minutes left in the first half. A layup from Jenei allowed the Petrels to take the lead for the first time in the game, but Transylvania quickly countered.
The score would tie four more times in the seven minutes before halftime, as tensions flared between the Petrels and the Pioneers. With an assist from Bennifield, Ezigbo made the final basket of the period and put the Petrels back in the lead at 36-35.
In the first minute of the second half, the Pioneers gained four points in contrast to Ezigbo's two successful free throws, with Transylvania taking the lead once more. This jumpstart carried the Pioneers through the rest of the period, as the Petrels were unable to regain the lead for the remainder of the game.
Oglethorpe continued to put up a fight and kept scoring against Transylvania, but the Pioneers held onto their lead and pulled away each time the Petrels came close to tying the score. In the final seconds, Harris made a 3-pointer and Ezigbo made two free throws, ending a close game to Transylvania at 87-82.
Game Notes
- This was Oglethorpe's first meeting against Transylvania in at least the last 10 seasons.
- Overall, the team recorded a 78.9% free throw average, making 15 of 19 attempts.
- This marked the first starts for freshmen Malachi Dooley, Jackson Kemp and Mason Kemp.
- Uba Ezigbo made 10 of 19 attempted field goals.
- Halftime saw a performance from Oglethorpe's dance team Khayos, cheered on by the student fan group Oglethorpe 6th Man.
Up Next
The Stormy Petrels remain home to face Warren Wilson at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20. The Petrels will hit the road again in December, with their Southern Athletic Association opener at Berry on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m.
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