2004 SCAC MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
FIRST ROUND

#6 OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY 71, #3 CENTRE COLLEGE 68
(Game Box)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Oglethorpe University pulled the first major upset of the 2004 Tournament as the sixth-seeded Petrels shocked third-seeded Centre Colonels 71-68 in the second game of the afternoon Friday at Rhodes College.

After Eric Dickinson sank 1 of 2 free throws to give Oglethorpe a 69-65 lead with 0:52 remaining, Centre got three looks at a three-point shot and Jason Atwell made the third time a charm as his trey with 0:13 remaining cut the Petrels' lead to 69-68.

Oglethorpe (11-15) then turned the ball over on the end-bounds pass at Centre's end of the floor, but Rob King missed a contested layup and Josh Burr was fouled on the subsequent rebound. Burr canned both free throws to put the lead at 71-68 at 0:06. John Ortega's three-point shot at the buzzer was no good and Oglethorpe had the tourney's first big upset.

The league's leading scorer and rebounder, Russ Churchwell, was held to 10 points and five rebounds, but the Petrels' survived on the play of Dickinson and Burr. Dickinson had a game-high 24 points and seven rebounds and Burr followed with 20 points, including four three-pointers.

Centre, which ended its season at 18-8, was led by Jason Atwell with 16 points, James Booker with 15, and Reggie Magnusson with 14. Rob King had six points, six rebounds, and broke a SCAC single-game conference record with four steals and tied another with seven assists.