MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After a hard-fought game that saw several season highs, the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels fell 103-84 to the Rhodes Lynx.  

Eleven Petrels entered the scoring column, three of them hitting double digits. Jordan James and Trey Harris led with 17 points each, a career high for Harris. Jackson Kemp followed with 10 points, Dylan Bennifield with nine, and Brent Smith with a career high of eight points.

Bennifield tied his season high of five assists, while Malachi Dooley recorded four and Harris three. Harris also recorded two steals. 

"We outshot Rhodes from the field, we outshot them from 3-point range, and we outshot them from the free throw line; you usually win when that happens," said Head Coach Philip Ponder. "The problem was they got 24 more shots than us. They rebounded over half of their misses, and you can't expect to win games when that happens. I thought we had taken some steps forward, but tonight was definitely a step backward. We'll look to bounce back on Sunday."

Rhodes began the game in their favor with a quick 3-pointer, as a layup from Smith began the scoring for Oglethorpe. Although Rhodes began with a decent upper hand, the Petrels went on an 11-2 run to raise the score to 13-9. Unfortunately, Oglethorpe did not hold this lead for long, as the Lynx tied the score at 15-15, then flew into the lead which they would hold for the remainder of the period. Despite great shooting from James and Smith, the Stormy Petrels headed into halftime trailing 50-39.

Dooley jumpstarted the second period, and James saw a hot streak as the Petrels tried to catch back up. James made four free throws in a row, then another, and then a great dunk thanks to a steal by Harris. James also recorded a 3-pointer with an assist from Ryan Jenei, but Oglethorpe still trailed 53-65 with 13 minutes remaining.

The Petrels began to pick up the pace in the final minutes, but the Lynx was able to hit the century mark with two minutes still on the clock. Despite their best efforts, Oglethorpe ultimately fell 103-84 to Rhodes.  

As a team, the Stormy Petrels posted a 75% free-throw percentage, a 53.7% field goal percentage, and a 47.8% 3-point percentage.  

Game Notes 

• Oglethorpe's record is now 7-10 (2-4 SAA). 
• Rhodes' record is now 11-4 (4-2 SAA). 
• This was junior Brent Smith's first game as a starter. 
• The Petrels are now 22–11 against the Lynx since 2006. 
• Jordan James was one point shy of tying his career high. 
• The last time Oglethorpe faced Rhodes was February 6, 2022, which resulted in a 70-52 win for the Petrels. 
• The only other opponent to reach 100+ points against the Petrels this season was NCAA Division I Georgia Southern.   

Up Next 

The Stormy Petrels will remain on the road, facing Hendrix on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. ET. The next home game will be Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. as the Petrels take on Rhodes once again.