We've Moved: New Athletics Website Launches Today!
The Oglethorpe University athletics department is pleased to announce the launching of its new online home, www.gopetrels.com. The re-worked website was created in partnership with Presto Sports and uses state of the art technology to improve the Stormy Petrels fans’ interactive experience.

“We are thrilled to have this new image of Oglethorpe sports on the internet,” said athletics director Jay Gardiner, adding, “the new look and feel of this website should greatly enhance both our student-athletes and fans online visits as they follow Stormy Petrel athletics.”

The new website launches at noon on Thursday, December 17, 2009. To visit the new site, go here.

Richey Named SCAC Player of the Week
Alex Richey, a junior guard from Alpharetta, Ga., has been named SCAC Basketball Player-of-the-Week for games played Monday, December 7 through Sunday, December 13.

Richey led Oglethorpe to a thrilling 97-93 double-overtime over cross town rival Emory University Dec. 7. He scored 34 points while connecting on 12 of 22 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds, forced three steals and added three assists in the win.

 
On the season, Richey is second in the SCAC averaging 17.4 points per game and also ranks in the top 10 in the SCAC in field goal percentage (48.9% - seventh), steals (1.6 per game – tied for 10th) and minutes played per game (37.7 – third).

Men Win Double Overtime Thriller Over Emory
The Oglethorpe University men's basketball team defeated Emory University in Decatur, Georgia in a double overtime thriller on Monday evening, 97-93. Alex Richey scored a lay-up to give the Petrels a 94-93 lead late in the second overtime and then converted two free throws following a missed Emory field goal to seal the exciting victory.

The game started innocently enough with Emory forging a five point 32-27 lead at the half. Then, the two teams exploded offensively in the second half to open up a high scoring affair. One should have known this game would come down to the wire: the result of this one marks the third time in the last four games the two teams have played their way into overtime.
 
Down by two with 30 seconds to play, Todd Ward found Wade Weldon for a game tying lay-up to help send the game into the first overtime. The Petrels were then up by three with 22 seconds remaining in the first overtime before the Eagles managed to bank in a three-point attempt with only six seconds left to force the second extra session. Finally, in the second overtime, the Petrels broke through on the aforementioned Richey lay-up with 45 seconds left to take the lead for good and claim the non-conference win.
 
The game featured 18 lead changes and 15 ties to make it yet another Emory-Oglethorpe classic. The Petrels shot a scintillating 60% from the field in the second half and 54% overall for the game.  In a box score anomaly, Oglethorpe scored 97 points yet made only one three-pointer.
 
Alex Richey led the way for Oglethorpe with a monster game that included 34 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Todd Ward added 18 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocked shots while Wade Weldon chipped in 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the field. Freshman Alex Pitts tallied 16 points on the night to round out the Petrels in double figures.
 
With the win, Oglethorpe has won back-to-back games for the first time this year and stands at 4-3 overall. The team will have a brief hiatus for exams before returning to Pinholster Court to face Hanover at 7:30 p.m. on December 18.

Vote Now for the Greatest Moment in Oglethorpe Athletics History!
You've made all the nominations, now it's time to vote on the greatest moment in Oglethorpe University athletic history!

To cast your vote, visit the Oglethorpe Alumni website. A listing of the nominations submitted by Oglethorpe alums and fans can be found here: www.alumni.oglethorpe.edu/nominations09. The voting form to make your voice heard can be found here: www.alumni.oglethorpe.edu/vote.  

Voting will continue until February 11 and we will begin announcing the Top 10 Moments every Friday, beginning with Moment #10 on Friday, February 12. The #1 moment will be announced at the Alumni Awards Banquet during Alumni Weekend 2009 hosted by the Alumni Office on April 16. Alumni are inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame each year during the awards banquet. To reserve a space at this banquet, please email the Alumni Office: alumni@oglethorpe.edu.  

Men Rout Sewanee, 76-42
The Oglethorpe University men's basketball team defeated the Sewanee Tigers in Tennessee on Saturday night, 76-42. Oglethorpe's defense suffocated the Tigers into a 28% shooting performance that held Sewanee to only 4 made field goals in the second half.

Down 15-14 halfway through the first stanza, the Petrels stormed back to take a 37-26 lead into the break. Oglethorpe then blistered Sewanee at the start of the second half on a 24-2 run to blow the game open and stake an insumountable 61-28 lead.
 
While locking down the Tiger offense, Oglethorpe forced 28 Sewanee turnovers and held them to a dismal 15% (4-27) shooting performance in the second half.
 
Alex Richey led 11 different Petrels who scored in the contest with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Freshman Alec Pitts chipped in 11 points and junior Todd Ward posted 10 to round out the Petrels in double figures. Sophomore Erik Strong led all rebounders with 14 boards on the night.
 
With the win, Oglethorpe is 3-3 (1-0) on the season and will have look to avenge a season opening loss to Emory this Monday at 7:00 p.m. in Decatur, Georgia.

Women Set School and Conference Record in Win Over Sewanee
The Oglethorpe University women's basketball team defeated the Sewanee Tigers in Monteagle. Tennessee on Saturday night, 90-75. The Petrels began their first conference game of the season on a 22-9 run and never trailed en route to the victory. Additionally, the Petrels set a school and conference record with 78 rebounds in the runaway win.

The 78 rebounds smashes the previous Oglethorpe women's record of 69 set against Spelman on January 25, 2006. It also sets the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference record for rebounds in a game for both men's and women's teams, topping women's squad Hendrix's 71 (Jan. 28, 2005) and men's squad Oglethorpe's 76 (Nov. 20, 2000).
 
Four different Petrels had double-digit rebounding efforts in the record-setting victory: Sarah Giles (16), Kaci Palmore (15), Taymah Jones (14) and Katie Weeks (11).

Oglethorpe led Sewanee 43-34 at the break after shooting a red-hot 55% from the field (17-31) in the game's first twenty minutes. Tonight, it was a combination of the young and old that got the job done as freshman Katie Weeks led all scorers with 20 points and senior Taymah Jones poured in 14 points.

Freshmen Riley Cerone and Sarah Jones posted 17 and 10 points respectively to round out four Petrel starters in double-figures. Jones added six assists to her outstanding effort in the game and fellow freshman Kaci Palmore set a career high with 15 rebounds in the big conference win.
 
Oglethorpe is now 4-2 on the season and will have some time off to focus for exams before their next contest versus LaGrange on Pinholster Court on December 17 at 7:00 p.m.

McConnell, Koch Named All-SCAC Soccer Sportsmanship Athletes
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) today announced its second annual Men’s and Women’s Soccer All-Sportsmanship teams and Oglethorpe players Harrison McConnell and Kristen Koch have been selected. Twenty three men’s and women’s soccer players were selected to the 2009 squad.

The SCAC is placing a special emphasis on sportsmanship this year – asking all fans of the conference to exhibit good sportsmanship at all conference functions throughout the 2008-2009 season. Read the SCAC Presidents’ Council statement on Fan Sportsmanship

Each head coach was asked to elect one member from his or her team who displayed good sportsmanship throughout the season. The following student-athletes were named to the 2008 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team for the sports of men’s and women’s soccer:

Tanko and Booth Selected to SCAC All Sportsmanship Teams
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has announced its second annual Men’s and Women’s Cross Country All-Sportsmanship teams. The SCAC places special emphasis on sportsmanship each year.

Freshmen Tim Tanko of Kennesaw, Georgia and Bethany Booth  of Sugar Hill, Georgia were Oglethorpe’s runners named to the Men’s and Women’s SCAC Cross Country All-Sportsmanship Teams for the 2009 season.