ATLANTA – In an impressive Southern Athletic Association opener, the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels defeated the Berry Vikings 79-74 in overtime. Sophomore Malachi Dooley led with a career high of 24 points.
Oglethorpe trailed by as many as 14 in the second half before going on a 40-26 run over the final 17 minutes to force overtime. Seven Petrels were in the scoring column in that stretch, led by Dooley who scored 13 of his points in that run. This included the rebound and fast-break basket that tied the game with 30 seconds left.
Oglethorpe and Berry then traded solid looks in their final plays of the game before heading to the Petrels' first overtime period of the season.
Dylan Pumpian had the first clutch shot of the extra period with a 3-pointer on the opening possession to give Oglethorpe its first lead since Dooley put the team ahead 3-0 with 18 minutes left in the first half. After Pumpian's overtime triple, the Petrels led the rest of the way, with Dooley doubling the lead with a three 90 seconds later, then Pumpian and Perry Robinson sealed the game in the final minute at the free-throw line.
"That was a big time win against the three-time defending champs and the team that beat us in the championship game in 2021 and in 2022," said Head Coach Philip Ponder after the win. "We had been struggling, but I had seen some positive signs and told the guys you can be disappointed with our start to the season and optimistic at the same time. That was how I felt. I thought our energy was great and our defense compared to last year is so much better. It is night and day so far. I'm really proud of the guys' effort tonight."
Robinson recorded 20 points along with eight rebounds, followed by a season high of 13 points from Pumpian. Uba Ezigbo made eight points and seven rebounds while Jackson Kemp tallied seven of each. Ezigbo led with four steals and five assists, and Dooley had three steals.
The game was scoreless for the first two minutes, until a three-pointer from Dooley. Berry responded with a 3-pointer of its own, then took the lead. The Vikings were able to hold a considerable upper hand for most of the first half. The Petrels headed into halftime trailing 35-22.
The second period began with two good free-throws from Ezigbo, who was fouled almost as soon as the period began. Oglethorpe went on a 17-6 run, but Berry still held a 44-38 advantage. The Petrels fought hard to close the gap, including an 8-2 run in the final two minutes. That streak ended with the game's equalizing layup from Dooley.
The game headed into overtime at 67-67, and Pumpian quickly sank a 3-pointer, echoed with another from Dooley. Berry managed a five-point run, but Robinson cut them off with a layup. After several fouls and free throws, Robinson stood at the line in the final second of the game to give Oglethorpe two more points. With a 79-74 win, the Petrels recorded their first victory over Berry since December 2021.
Game Notes
- Dooley went 10-of-15 from the field and 2-of-6 from three. His 24 points topped his previous career high of 17.
- Jordan James led the Petrels in blocks with three.
- Oglethorpe scored 16 fast-break points.
- Oglethorpe's record against Berry is now 13-16 since 2010.
- The game also represented Berry's conference opener. Berry is the favorite to win the league according to the preseason coaches poll.
Up Next
The Stormy Petrels will be home again on Thursday, Dec. 14, to host No. 16 Emory. Then, on December 16, Oglethorpe will host Covenant before the Jack Berkshire Classic at the end of the month.
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