JACKSON, Miss. - Several Stormy Petrels hit personal highs Sunday night as Oglethorpe defeated the Millsaps Majors 84-73, picking up their first Southern Athletic Association win. The win marked head coach Philip Ponder's 300th victory.
Malachi Dooley led with a season high of 22 points and four rebounds. Jackson Kemp followed with his own season high of 16 points plus eight rebounds. Perry Robinson recorded his sixth double-double of the season, posting 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jordan James had 11 points with five rebounds and Dylan Pumpian put up 15 points.
"I thought we played a great first half, both offensively and defensively," said Ponder after the win. Ponder improved to 300-257 all-time as head coach at Oglethorpe. "Our offense has been good the last few games, so it was nice to see our defense step up today. This was a good road win, and hopefully we can get a streak going."
It took two minutes for anyone to make a basket, and the first points unfortunately went to Millsaps. J. Kemp got the Petrels on the board, and Dooley pushed to a 4-4 tie. This led into a 12-0 run in which Pumpian was unstoppable. A 14-4 lead is hard to beat, and although the Majors tried to claw their way back, the Petrels only continued to pad their lead.
The second half started with high spirits, thanks to 48-37 on the scoreboard. Pumpian, Dooley and J. Kemp combined for yet another early run, adding seven unanswered points to the board. The game ended with a multitude of fouls by the Majors, allowing James to get the last shot for an 84-73 win.
Game Notes
- This was Robinson's fourth double-double in a row. He also made six assists and went 2-for-2 on 3-pointers.
- Oglethorpe's record against Millsaps is now 38-29 since 1992.
- The Petrels have won nine of their last 10 games against the Majors.
- Pumpian made two steals.
- Both Oglethorpe and Millsaps now have 1-3 SAA records, although Oglethorpe's losing stretch has come against three of the league's top teams.
Up Next
The Stormy Petrels will hit the road again this Friday, Jan. 24, to take on Rhodes at 9 p.m. EST. The next home game will also be against Rhodes, happening January 31 at 8 p.m.
