STATESBORO, Ga. - After returning from a short holiday break, the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels fell 101-73 in an exhibition game at NCAA Division I Georgia Southern University.
After a hard-fought game, 11 Petrels made their way into the scoring column, with two of them in double digits. Uba Ezigbo led with 15 points and Dylan Bennifield followed with a career high of 13 points. Jackson Kemp, Mason Kemp and Ryan Jenei all recorded seven points each, and Tyler O'Donoghue six points.
Ezigbo also led in rebounds and assists, totaling season highs of six in each category.
Because this was an exhibition game, these numbers will not ultimately count toward Oglethorpe's season record or a player's individual statistics.
"It is always a good experience to play a Division I game," said Head Coach Philip Ponder. "There isn't a big difference between Division I and Division III in terms of skill level, but the big difference is the size and athleticism. We just didn't have an answer for their big man today."
Ezigbo started the Petrels off right, with a layup in the first 30 seconds. The Eagles were able to quickly gain a lead over the Stormy Petrels, which they would hold for the remainder of the game. Bennifield's early layup brought Oglethorpe the closest to overtaking the Eagles, with a score of 8-7 before Southern continued to widen the gap with a 10-0 run.
Ezigbo made a layup in the last few seconds of the period, as Oglethorpe headed into halftime down 59-36.
The Petrels continued to fight in the second half, as Bennifield kicked off the period with a successful layup and a jump shot before the Eagles could score. The Petrels and the Eagles would go back and forth for the remainder of the game, but Georgia Southern was able to hold on to the lead they procured early on.
The Eagles really took off in the final minutes, easily reaching the hundred-point mark. A 3-pointer from Terrence Northcutt ripped the 30-point lead away from the Eagles, but Georgia Southern ultimately defeated the Petrels 101-73.
"We couldn't get defensive stops in the first half, but I thought we played well in the second half," Ponder continued. "We were actually winning the second half through the first 16 minutes, and played them pretty even. This was just an exhibition game for us, but now it's time to focus on the real season, and our first conference game coming up next Saturday."
Overall, Oglethorpe recorded a free throw percentage of 54.5%, and a field goal percentage of 48.3%.
Game Notes
- The last recorded time Oglethorpe faced Georgia Southern was in 1974, and resulted in an 80-60 loss for the Petrels.
- Overall, the Petrels recorded seven steals.
- The game was streamed on ESPN+, marking a television debut for many of the Petrels.
Up Next
The Stormy Petrels will head to Berry on Saturday, Dec. 3, for the Southern Athletic Association opener at 6 p.m. The next home game will be Thursday, Dec. 29, at 4 p.m. against Brevard College as Oglethorpe hosts the Jack Berkshire Classic.
