Men Lose Season Opener in Overtime
The Oglethorpe University men's basketball team lost their first game of the season on Pinholster Court on Thursday night against cross-town rival Emory University in overtime, 85-81.

After trailing by as many as fifteen points and being down by twelve at the half, Oglethorpe stormed back to take a six point lead heading into the game's final 60 seconds. Disaster struck, however, as the Petrels missed six consecutive free throws in the waning seconds to open the door for the Eagles who promptly took advantage. Daniel Curtain hit a three-ball to tie the game with 16 ticks remaining and Emory rode the momentum into the overtime session for the win.
 
Prior to the meltdown at the free throw line, Oglethorpe looked poised for a nice season opening win after treating the crowd to the thrilling fifteen point turnaround. The comeback was highlighted by freshman Tyler Cerone connecting on consecutive three-pointers on the first two shots of his career.
 
The Petrels were led by Joe Kennedy's 18 points and 7 rebounds. Todd Ward added 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists on the night and Wade Weldon and Alex Richey tossed in 16 and 15 points respectively. For the night Oglethorpe shot 45% (32-71) from the field but a woeful 37% (7-19) from the free throw line.
 
The Petrels will shoot for their first win of the season this Sunday when they face Methodist on Pinholster Court at 3 p.m.

Expectations Abound as Men's, Women's Basketball Gets Underway
The men's and women's basketball 2009-2010 seasons are just around the corner and lofty expectations are the preseason theme for both the men's and women's programs at Oglethorpe.

Exclusive balloting by the men's and women's basketball coaches in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference were held last week to determine the preseason order of finish for all 12 conference members and both the men's and women's teams for Oglethorpe fared well in the voting process.
 
The Oglethorpe University men's team received 103 total votes, including two first place votes, to make them the second pick overall in the conference. The Petrels trailed only eastern division rival Centre in the voting after the Colonels were able to secure 114 votes. To view the men's preseason order of finish as voted on by the coaches, go here. The men's season tips off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 19against Emory on Pinholster Court.
 
The Oglethorpe University women's team received 76 total votes to make them the fifth overall selection in the twelve team conference. The Petrels are projected to finish third in the eastern division behind DePauw (117 votes) and Centre College (109 votes). To view the women's preseason order of finish as vvoted on by the coaches, go here. The women's season tips off against Emory on Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. on Pinholster Court.

Hoops Season Tips Off With Saturday Night Extravaganza
The 2009-2010 men's and women's basketball seasons begin in earnest this Saturday night with an extravaganza open to all on Pinholster Court. Come watch the season get underway with a slam dunk contest, three-point shooting exhibition and intra-squad scrimmages. There will also be performances by the cheerleaders and free give-aways to students in attendance. The extravaganza begins at 8:00 p.m. in the Dorough Field House so don't be late!

Ward Named Preseason All-America by D3hoops.com
Oglethorpe University junior forward Todd Ward of Venice, Florida has been voted to the 2009-2010 D3hoops.com Preseason Men's All-America Team. Voted on by a panel of sports information directors around the country, Ward was an Preseason All-America Second Team selection.

Ward led the Petrels in a bevy of statistical categories in the 2009-2010 season including scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots. The athletic 6'5" forward poured in 17 points per game while connecting on 56% of his shots from the field. Additionally, Ward grabbed 10.2 rebounds per game to lead the entire Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
 
To view the release announcing Ward's selection, visit the D3hoops.com site here.

Men's Hoops Gets Attention of Preseason Pollsters
The D3hoops.com Division III Men's Basketball Preseason Poll was released on Thursday and the Oglethorpe University men's basketball team collected 46 votes to place them in 31st position.

The Stormy Petrels return all five starters to a team that won 16 games last season and the pollsters are taking notice of a squad that could be out for a banner year in 2009-2010. Among the returning starters for head coach Phil Ponder are All-SCAC First Team selection Todd Ward, All-SCAC Third Team selection Joe Kennedy and All-SCAC Honorable Mention selection David Allison. Add the returning services of swingmen Alex Richey and Wade Weldon, along with a bevy of talented recruits, and the Petrels will be off and running this season.
 
To view the entire poll and see, visit the release on the D3hoops.com site here. To view an article including a photo of Todd Ward currently running on D3hoops.com, go here. To view Oglethorpe's 2009-2010 schedule, go here.
 
The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country and is published weekly.

Ward Named to D3Hoops.com All-South Region First Team
Oglethorpe University sophomore forward Todd Ward of Venice, Florida has been named a member of the 2009 D3Hoops.com All-South Region First Team. Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools and all SIDs in the region were given the opportunity to vote. Ward is only one of five players in the entire South Region to receive the illustrious First Team status.

Ward led the Petrels in a bevy of statistical categories this season including scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots. The athletic 6'5" forward poured in 17 points per game while connecting on 56% of his shots from the field. Additionally, Ward grabbed 10.2 rebounds per game to lead the entire Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
 
Only one underclassman, junior Clay Henson of Guilford, received more votes than Ward, making Ward a leading candidate for All-South Region Player of the Year in the upcoming 2009-2010 campaign.
 
 

Richey, Richmann Selected to SCAC Basketball All-Sportsmanship Teams
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2009 Men's and Women's Basketball All-Sportsmanship Teams and Oglethorpe players Alex Richey and Biz Richmann were selected as members. Twelve men’s basketball and twelve women’s basketball student-athletes were selected to the 2008-2009 squads.

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.

 

Ward Named GABCA POTY; Allison, Kennedy and Weldon Also Collect Honors
The Georgia Basketball Coaches Association announced it's postseason awards on Monday and Oglethorpe men's basketball players Todd Ward, David Allison, Joe Kennedy and Wade Weldon each received regognition, including Ward collecting Georgia's Division III Player of the Year award

The awards feature a Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year for each division in addition to a five-player All-State team. The GABCA also recognizes an Honorable Mention All-State team as well as honoring 64 student-athletes as GABCA All-Academic selections.



 
After pacing the 16-10 Petrels all season long, Ward was both the D-III Player of the Year and an All-State First Team selection. Joining Ward on the All-State team was junior David Allison who guided Oglethorpe from the guard position this season.
 
Sophomore Joe Kennedy of Gainseville, Georgia collected Honorable Mention All-State status for his outstanding performance on the hardwood as well.
 
Junior Wade Weldon also joined Allison on the GABCA All-Academic Team for their dual work on both the court and in the classroom.
 
For the second straight year, head men's basketball coach Philip Ponder was named the GABCA Division III Coach of the Year.

Ward, Kennedy, Allison Receive Postseason Honors
Oglethorpe University sophomores Todd Ward and Joe Kennedy and junior David Allison have been selected as members of the 2009 All-SCAC Teams for their outstanding performances on the court in the 2008-2009 season.

Ward, a forward from Venice, Florida, collected 129 points in the votes cast by SCAC coaches and was selected as a 2009 All-SCAC First Team performer. Last season's SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year, Ward picked up where he left off in 2007-08, averaging 16.6 points (third in the SCAC) and a league-high 9.9 rebounds per game during the regular season. Ward, who led the SCAC with 12 double-doubles, is also ranked in field goal percentage (56.1% - second), free-throw percentage (69.6% - 13th) and 1.5 blocks per game (fifth). A two-time SCAC Player-of-the-Week, Ward lead the league in offensive rebounds with 98.

 
Kennedy, a guard from Gainesville, Georgia, collected 24 points in the votes casted by SCAC coaches and was selected as a member of the 2009 All-SCAC Third Team. Kennedy averaged 14.1 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game to help lead the Petrels to a 16-10 overall record. He also lead the team in assist average with 3.0 assists per game. He ranked 12th in the SCAC in scoring average and 10th in the SCAC in assist average. Additionally, Kennedy ranked 5th in the conference in 3-point shooting percentage at 41% and 8th in the SCAC in steals with a 1.7 steals per game average.
 
Allison, a guard from Stuart, Florida, was an All-SCAC Honorable Mention selection. For the season, Allison averaged 14.7 points per game, 2.8 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game. His 14.7 points per game were good for 9th overall in the SCAC, his 2.8 assists per game were good for 13th in the SCAC and his 1.6 steals per game had him ranked 9th overall in the SCAC in that category. Additionally, Allison connected on 48.6% of his field goal attempts, which was 6th overall in the conference.

Men's Season Ends in Overtime Loss
The Oglethorpe University men's basketball team saw their season come to an end on Friday night in SCAC quarterfinal action in Conway, Ark. when they fell to host Hendrix, 92-80 in overtime. Despite never leading, the Petrels put up a tough fight and erased a 12-point second half deficet to send the game to overtime before running out of gas.

Down 72-69 with 40 seconds to play, Joe Kennedy buried a game-tying 3-pointer to knot the score and send the game to overtime. The Petrels, however, did not have enough left in the tank to overcome the home standing Warriors.
 
Todd Ward led all scorers and rebounders with a monster 26 point, 16 board effort in the loss. Kennedy added 18 points and Wade Weldon had 15 points and 8 rebounds on the night.
 
The Petrels finish the season 16-10 but will return all five starters to the hardwood next fall.

Petrels Fall to No. 17 Centre 81-71 in Regular Season Finale
The Oglethorpe men's basketball team lost at No. 17 Centre 81-71 on Sunday to finish the year at 16-9, 7-7 in SCAC play.

The Petrels kept it close throughout the first half, going into the locker room trailing only 35-34. However, the homestanding Colonels outscored the Petrels 46-37 in the second half to pull away for the 10-point victory.
 
Todd Ward recorded a double-double in the game, pouring in 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. David Allison and Alex Richey also finished in double figures in points with 16 and 10 respectively.
 
The Petrels will enter next weekend's SCAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed out of the Eastern Division. They will take on Hendrix, the No. 2 seed out of the West, at 9 p.m. ET on Friday. The SCAC Tournament will take place in Conway, Ark., and will be hosted by Hendrix.

Petrels Drop Game at DePauw 85-58
The Oglethorpe men's basketball team knew it would be a difficult task to defeat DePauw on the road as the Tigers had been undefeated at home so far this year. That trend did not change on Friday night as DePauw romped over Oglethorpe 85-58.

The home standing Tigers were played close by the Petrels in the first half, who trailed eight at halftime. However, the second half was all DePauw as they led by 29 at one point before finally settling for the 27-point victory.
 
The Petrels were led by Alex Richey who scored 16 points in the losing effort. No other Petrel scored in double figures.
 
Despite the loss, the Petrels are guaranteed of the No. 3 seed out of the Eastern Division in the SCAC Tournament. They will play guarnanteed No. 2 seed out of the West Hendrix, who will be hosting the tournament. Oglethorpe has one more game before that, as they will pay a visit to No. 17 Centre on Sunday afternoon.

Ward Selected to D3hoops Team of the Week
Oglethorpe University sophomore forward Todd Ward of Venice, Florida was selected to the D3Hoops Team of the week for games played February 9 to February 15.

Ward was an absolute beast for the Petrels this past weekend, leading the team to two victories over Rhodes and Birmingham Southern with similar stat lines. Against Rhodes, Ward connected on 11 of 15 shots on his way to posting 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and three blocks. Versus Southern, Ward again posted 27 points and 11 rebounds, this time by shooting 10 of 17 from the field.
 
For the weekend, Ward shot 65.6% from the field, made 2 of 5 three-point attempts and converted 10 of 11 from the free throw line.

Men Hold On to Defeat Birmingham-Southern
The Oglethorpe University men's basketball team defeated Birmingham-Southern on Pinholster Court on Sunday afternoon, 72-66. The Petrels saw an 18 point second half lead shrink to 2 before regrouping for the non-conference win.

Oglethorpe dominated the first half, holding the Panthers to only 23% from the field on 7 of 30 shooting. After holding a 32-18 halftime lead, the Petrels scored the first 4 points of the second stanza and looked poised for another runaway win like Friday night.
 
The Panthers, however, had different ideas as they whittled the Petrel advantage all the way down to two points before sophomore forward Todd Ward took over for Oglethorpe.
 
For the afternoon, Ward connected on 10 of 17 shot attempts on his way to posting 27 points and 11 rebounds for the second consecutive contest. In addition to the points and boards, Ward also added 4 blocks in a stellar all-around performance.
 
David Allison added 14 points and Wade Weldon posted 10 points and 7 rebounds to help pave the way to victory. The Petrels shot 50% ( 26 of 52) as a team on Sunday.
 
For the season, Oglethorpe is now 16-7 (7-5) and will travel to face ranked opponents DePauw and Centre this coming weekend to close out the regualr season slate.

Men Blast Lynx, 95-79
The Oglethorpe University men's basketball team defeated the Rhodes College Lynx on Pinholster Court on Friday night, 95-79. Sophomore Todd Ward connected on 11 of 15 shot attempts en route to scoring 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to delight the homecoming crowd in the runaway victory.

The Petrels blistered the nets against the Lynx to claim the blowout win by shooting 36 of 72 (50%) from the field and a red-hot 15 of 33 (46%) from downtown. After holding a 46-33 halftime lead, Oglethorpe stretched it all the way out to 30 at one point in the second stanza.

Joe Kennedy joined Ward's heroics with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and two steals in an outstanding all-around performance and David Allison added 16 points, 6 boards and four steals of his own in the dominating Petrel win. Alex Richey hit for 16 points and seven rebounds to round out the Oglethorpe players in double-figures.
 
The play of the night definitely belonged to the trio of Richey, Kennedy and Ward. Richey tracked down a long Lynx rebound and hit a streaking Kennedy up the sideline who lofted a perfect pass to the rim for a thunderous Ward alley-oop that brought the homecoming crowd to their feet.
 
With the win, Oglethorpe is now 15-7 (7-5) on the season and will get set to square off with Birmingham-Southern on Sunday in the final regular season home game of the year.