ATLANTA - The Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels fought through a tough home opener but fell 71-68 to the Brevard Tornados on Tuesday. Perry Robinson led with 28 points and eight rebounds.

Robinson was followed by Uba Ezigbo with 15 and Jackson Kemp with a season high of 11 points. Robinson and J. Kemp both recorded eight rebounds, while Ezigbo, J. Kemp and Mason Kemp each tallied three assists.

"We show some flashes, but we haven't been able to put together a full 40-minute game yet," said Head Coach Philip Ponder after the game. "The turnovers and rebounds were pretty equal, but they beat us to a lot of 50/50 balls that we need to come up with. We shot it great from two-point range and the free-throw line, but we struggled from deep again. We just have to keep working. The threes will start to fall."

Robinson began the game with a good layup, but Brevard quickly responded with a 3-pointer to take the lead where it remained for the rest of the first half. The Tornados managed to gain a seven-point lead before a 3-pointer from Ezigbo, which seemed like it would give the Petrels the upper hand. Oglethorpe fought to steal the lead, but Brevard kept them at an arm's length. The half ended with four good free throws split between J. Kemp and Robinson, with Oglethorpe heading into halftime trailing 36-32 and hope for a comeback in the second period. 

The late free throws proved to give the Petrels a confidence boost, as Robinson opened the period with a layup once again. Oglethorpe went on an 11-0 run to take a 47-41 lead which included an impressive dunk from Malachi Dooley. The Petrels were able to keep the Tornados at bay for a while, until Brevard sank a 3-pointer to tie the game at 49-49 with nearly 12 minutes still remaining. In a heartbreaking turn, Oglethorpe was unable to regain control of the court and dropped their home opener 71-68. 

Game Notes 

• Oglethorpe and Brevard have only been in contest since 2019. 
• Perry Robinson went 10-for-13 in field goals.
• The Petrels and the Tornados both recorded six fast-break points.  
• J. Kemp went 4-for-4 in free throws.

Up Next 

In their Southern Athletic Association opener, the Stormy Petrels will host the Berry Vikings on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m., after the women's game.