MEMPHIS - Despite a 31-19 disadvantage in the foul column that got Oglethorpe to the line 39 times, the Rhodes College men's basketball team hung on and defeated the Stormy Petrels on Friday evening by the score of 107-101 to remain in the thick of the SAA race.

Rhodes shot 48% from the field on 38 of 79 shooting and converted on 14 3-pointers, shooting 32% for the game. The Petrels shots 59% from the field and 20% from deep while going 72% from the line.

The Lynx led wire-to-wire, with the game only tied in the first 13 seconds. They also outscored the Petrel bench 50-22 and forced 26 turnovers.

Part of the reason for that was the monstrous 19-2 run to start the game for Rhodes as freshman Bryce Berry scored eight points during the run while senior Brennan Sullivan pitched in five.

However, the crowd at Mallory Gym found out quickly it would be a game of runs as Oglethorpe responded with a 9-2 run to cut it down to 10. Rhodes pushed it back to 17 almost immediately before Oglethorpe again got it back down to 10. 

After Rhodes got it out to 15 again, the Petrels went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit all the way down to five before the Lynx again responded with a 10-0 run minutes later to go back ahead 49-36.

The wild first half ended with Rhodes holding on to a 10 point lead at half, 54-44, behind 14 points and three 3-pointers from Sullivan, four steals from senior Tyler Gee, and four assists from senior J.J. Weir.

In the second half, it was more of the same as the Petrels started the half by getting the game down to four before the combo of junior Anesu Nyawata and freshman Preston Giroux pushed the lead back out to 12.

Numerous times in the second half, it seemed like Rhodes was ready to blow the game wide open, which they had done so many times already during the conference season at home, but Oglethorpe found a way to fight back into it.

The Lynx seemed primed to pull away when after a Berry layup, Berry proceeded to steal the inbound pass, dish it to freshman Kendrick Ashby who sent a beautiful pass to Sullivan who finished at the rim plus the foul to move ahead by 15.

Oglethorpe chipped away at the lead for the next five minutes and finally got the game down to three points with 5:44 to play. However, free throws by Gee and Berry paired with a 3-pointers from freshman Nick de Feria put Rhodes back ahead by eight. 

Two minutes later, Oglethorpe again got it down to three, but the Lynx delivered the knockout blow thanks to a layup from sophomore Daniel Darst and a huge three from Berry to go ahead 103-95.

The Petrels got it within three with less than a minute to play, but Rhodes came up clutch at the free throw line to close out the win at 107-101.

Sullivan and Berry each had 19 points while Nyawata added 11 points and four assists. Gee had a great game with 10 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four assists while Giroux provided a big 10 points to go with three steals. Darst pulled down nine rebounds while freshman Mitch Weatherford had five assists.

Drew Patrick led Oglethorpe with 27 points while Tom Inungu had 24 points, going 10 of 11 from the field.

Rhodes moves to 8-10 overall and 5-3 in the SAA, sitting one game behind Centre in a 3-way tie with Sewanee and Birmingham-Southern. The Lynx look to continue to make up ground as they take on Berry on Sunday at 3 PM.