ATLANTA – Perry Robinson scored his 1,000th career point with Oglethorpe as the Stormy Petrels celebrated Valentine's Day by defeating the Millsaps Majors 74-69. The win helped Oglethorpe secure the No. 4 seed and an opening-round host bid for the upcoming Southern Athletic Association tournament.
Robinson also recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Malachi Dooley followed with 12 points and two blocks. Jackson Kemp and Jordan James made 10 points each.
"That was a hard fought win," said head coach Philip Ponder. "Our offense had been rolling the last few weeks, but we struggled tonight. Shout out to our bench, which went 10-for-13 from the field combined. Our defense won us the game tonight, and we needed that since our offense struggled. We are playing as well as anyone in the league right now, so hopefully we can carry this momentum into the tournament next weekend."
J. Kemp hit a 3-pointer right out of the gate, but Millsaps quickly countered with a small run. The Majors were able to maintain control of most of the first half, but the energy shifted by the end of the period. Scoring had slowed, so Robinson and Willard Thompson combined for a 7-2 run and ended the period up 30-28.
Oglethorpe held onto that lead for the rest of the game, countering multiple advances from the Majors. Millsaps got close a few times, but the Petrels kept them at bay after each attack. Energy was high thanks to one of the largest crowds of the season, helping the Petrels with their win. It seemed like Millsaps was closing the gap in the final minute, but two free throws from Pumpian and a stellar dunk from Joe Helenbrook secured the 74-69 win.
Game Notes
Up Next
The SAA tournament will begin on Sunday, Feb. 23, with No. 4 seed Oglethorpe hosting No. 5 Rhodes. The time is still to be determined. The next round will be Saturday, March 1, at top-seeded Berry.