ATLANTA- The Southern Athletic Association opener for the Oglethorpe women's basketball team against Berry was a nail-biting matchup. Jaden Winfrey led the Petrels in scoring, tallying 14 points and three rebounds. Never losing the lead, Oglethorpe made a defining statement to open their slate of conference games with a 48-44 victory.  

A strong start for Oglethorpe was spearheaded by Sheraton Foster. Putting up five points in two minutes gave the Petrels the offensive wind they needed to start the game strong. This momentum led Marlie Battle and Briley Elder to both drain threes to make the score 12-0. The Petrels were 100% from the 3-point line and 50% from the field. This strong start set the tone for the offense for the whole game, allowing the momentum to carry through the whole game.  

Winfrey began the second quarter with a 3-pointer followed by a good layup by Marlie Battle in the paint. Aliyah Shaffer contributed to the team shooting 38% from the three by finishing the quarter with a sharp shot from the 3-point line. The Petrels went into halftime with a 15-point lead with the score at 32-17. The Petrels were perfect from the free throw line contrasting the Vikings shooting 70%. 

The Vikings began the second half with a new wind under their sails with an attempt to close the lead. Going on a 10-0 run, Berry creeped back into the game putting the score at 32-27. Malia Melton refreshed the Petrel offense after drawing a foul and making her shot. This momentum led Winfrey to make her second 3-pointer of the night followed by making all three of her foul shots. The offensive consistency from Winfrey allowed the Petrels to maintain their lead.  

Rivera began the fourth quarter with a strong layup followed by another 3-pointer from Winfrey. The Vikings tried to shorten the Petrels' lead by going on a 10-0 run but were stopped by two free throws from Winfrey to solidify the score at 48-44. Overall, the Petrels shot 38% from the field to the Vikings' 12%, which led to their dynamic score from long range and winning from the glass tallying 42 rebounds to the Vikings' 33. 

Game Notes

• Winfrey tallied her career high of 14 points and added two rebounds.
• Foster recorded her season high with 11 points.
• This is the first time Oglethorpe has defeated Berry in five years.  

Up Next

The Petrels will take on No. 9 Emory on the road on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. This will be their first ranked opponent of the season.