MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - With the semifinal matchups set, the Vikings are gearing up to host Stormy Petrels of Oglethorpe University on February 28 at 5 PM ET.
In the two teams' first meeting at Cage Arena, the Berry outlasted Oglethorpe by a final score of 82-79 thanks to game-sealing free throws from senior captain Braxton Benham. Benham ended with 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 key steals. Joining him as a key performer was Isaac Martin, who poured in 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Canon Armstead who also came up big in crucial moments, with 10 points and 3 rebounds to will the Vikings to victory.
The second meeting was a different story as Oglethorpe outperformed Berry in Atlanta by a final score of 98-90. They were led by point guard Malachi Dooley, who had 24 points. Accompanying Dooley was big man, Perry Robinson, who added 19 points to get Oglethorpe over the hump against Berry.
Overall, this season, Benham has done it all for this Vikings squad, averaging 22.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, an SAA-leading 5.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. His leadership has to be on display in this game to weather any storm that the Stormy Petrels are able to produce throughout the game. Senior forward Jacob Morgan will also have to come up big for the Vikings as a force from all three levels. Coming into the tournament, Morgan averages 11.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Parker Godwin will also play a key role in the game, as his quickness and shooting ability could be the difference for the Viking squad. Godwin averages 10.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists coming into the game. Look for Godwin to take on the challenge of guarding the Oglethorpe forwards throughout the game. Rounding out the players to watch is point guard Isaac Martin. Isaac averages 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. Martin also leads the SAA in three-point percentage, shooting 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Oglethorpe will be paced by point guard #12 Malachi Dooley and forward #21 Perry Robinson. Dooley is an athletic slasher that creates problems for opponents when he is attacking the rim. He averages 17.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3 assists from his point guard position. Robinson will man the middle for the Stormy Petrels as a do it all forward. He averages 20 points and an SAA-best 9 rebounds per game as a force from both the interior and perimeter.
The winner of this matchup will move on Championship Saturday on March 1 at 5 PM ET to face the winner of the other semifinal matchup between Sewanee and Centre in Cage Arena.
