ATLANTA – In the final game of this year's Jack Berkshire Classic, the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels defeated the LaGrange Panthers 92-88. Seniors Uba Ezigbo and Ryan Jenei were named to this year's all-tournament team, with Ezigbo also named the tournament's MVP.
Over the past two days, Ezigbo recorded 40 points and five assists. Ryan Jenei recorded 33 points, three assists, and both seniors were instrumental in Friday's victory over LaGrange.
"That was a great win for us," said Head Coach Philip Ponder. "Coming off a disappointing game the night before, I thought our energy was really good. We just couldn't throw it in the ocean for the first 12 minutes or so of the game. Although our defensive numbers weren't great, I thought our intensity was really good, and we had our best offensive game of the year. LaGrange is a really good team and would be one of the top teams in our league. Hopefully we can build on this one as we get ready for Emory, and then conference play."
Nine Petrels made their way into the scoring column, three of whom hit double digits. Ezigbo led with 28, while Jenei and Jordan James followed with 18 points each. Jenei tied his season high and James recorded a career high.
Malachi Dooley and Jackson Kemp each recorded seven points, Jonathan Awoleye six, while Trey Harris and Dylan Bennifield both recorded five points. Bennifield led in assists, totaling four, followed by Dooley with three.
Although the game began in LaGrange's favor, Ezigbo quickly scored a 3-pointer to show the Panthers that the Petrels mean business. LaGrange tied the score at 6-6 early on, and then went on a 14-2 run against the Petrels until a layup from Awoleye put Oglethorpe back on track. The remainder of the first period was tough for the Petrels, as LaGrange was able to hold on to a decent lead. In the final three minutes, James, Ezigbo, Dooley, and Jackson Kemp contributed to a 9-2 run against the Panthers, but Oglethorpe headed into halftime down 35-33.
LaGrange continued to strengthen their lead in the beginning of the second period, until a layup from Dooley combined with two 3-pointers from Jenei pushed the Petrels back into the lead. Including Dooley and Jenei's baskets, Oglethorpe went on a 10-0 run against LaGrange in just two minutes, and would hold the lead for the remainder of the game. The Stormy Petrels were able to stay out of the Panther's reach thanks to impressive shooting from the team, particularly Ezigbo, Jenei, James, and an impressive dunk from Dooley.
Although LaGrange's Brodie Scott made an impressive buzzer-beating 3-pointer, the Stormy Petrels claimed a 92-88 victory over the Panthers in the last game of the calendar year.
As a team, Oglethorpe recorded a 53.2% field goal percentage, and a 72.7% free throw percentage in one of their highest scoring games of the season. The Petrels recorded eight steals and four blocks.
Game Notes
- Oglethorpe now has a 5-6 record for the season so far.
- LaGrange's record is now 8-5 for the season.
- The Petrels are now 8–8 against the Panthers since 2006.
- The last time Oglethorpe faced LaGrange was in November 2021, and the game resulted in an 89-75 loss for the Petrels.
- The 2022 Jack Berkshire Classic all-tournament team featured Ezigbo (MVP) and Jenei alongside LB Boyette of Brevard, Zac Hill and Camerin Lyons of LaGrange, and Russ Marr of Sewanee.
Up Next
The Stormy Petrels will return in 2023 with a game at nearby Emory on Monday, Jan. 2, at 4 p.m. After Emory, the Petrels will return to Southern Athletic Association play for the remainder of the season. The next home game will be Friday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m. as Oglethorpe takes on Centre College.
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