Men's Basketball News

Men's Basketball Enjoys Trip to Europe

Over the summer break, the Oglethorpe University men’s basketball team took its first overseas excursion, playing three games and visiting numerous cultural and historical sights in France and Italy.  The team flew into Paris, France and spent four nights there.  While in the “city of lights,” the team took in many of the famous museums and landmarks, including the Louvre Museum, the Museum D’Orsay, the Arc de Triumphe, the Palace of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and the Champs Elysee.

The team also took a day trip up to the Beaches of Normandy, where the legendary D-Day invasion took place.  The players walked along the stretch of beach known as Omaha Beach, viewing the historical plaques and monuments, while also climbing the cliffs, where they found and climbed into old German bunkers.  Following a trip to the Omaha Beach museum, the day culminated with a trip to the inspirational United States Memorial Cemetary.

While in Paris, the team played two games and won both in convincing fashion.  The Petrels won the first game by the score of 101-66, with forward Eddie Buckley leading the way with 26 points, followed by Wade Weldon with 20 and Alex Richey with 19.  In the second game, the Petrels jumped out to a 12-0 lead and nailed 14 three-pointers to finish with a 94-69 victory.  Joe Kennedy led the squad with 27 points and Weldon pitched in 20.

The team then flew to Rome, Italy where they were based for the remainder of the trip.  While in the “eternal city,” the players visited the famed Colosseum and the Roman Forum, along with other popular sights such as the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Piazza Navona.  The highlight of their stay in Rome was the trip to the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peters Cathedral.  Another highlight was a day trip to the beautiful Tuscan city of Florence.

The Petrels played one game in Rome, as well, and finished their European tour with a perfect 3-0 record by recording a 102-76 win.  The Petrels once again came out hot, jumping out to a 10-0 lead.  The team finished with a staggering 17 three-point field goals, as Kennedy once again led all scorers with 27 points, and Weldon finished with 19.

The trip was a great success, and a great cultural, educational, and basketball experience for the team.  Head Coach Philip Ponder had this to say, “This was an experience of a lifetime for these guys.  I think it was not only a great educational experience for the guys, seeing all of these things that they have heard, read, and studied about, but also a great experience in terms of team-bonding.  I think this experience is going to make us a better team.  This is something I hope we will be able to do once every few years, so that everyone that comes to play at Oglethorpe will get to experience something like this during their career.”