ATLANTA - This year Oglethorpe University celebrates 90 years of basketball on campus. Basketball has been an integral part of the Oglethorpe community since December 15, 1916. On that day the Stormy Petrels suited up to play the Decatur Athletic Club in the university’s first basketball game. To date, Oglethorpe’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have won countless conference, regional and national titles.

The recent renovation of the Dorough Field House is the cornerstone for the celebration of Oglethorpe’s 90 years of basketball. The most dramatic improvement is the installation of a new maple basketball floor, named Pinholster Court in honor of the university’s former basketball coach Dr. Garland Pinholster. The second phase of the renovation process included an upgrade of Oglethorpe’s “Traditions,” the athletic hall of fame display area above Pinholster Court, which will now fully honor legendary Stormy Petrels.

Pinholster served as head basketball coach at Oglethorpe from 1956 until 1966. During his legendary career, Pinholster invented “The Wheel,” an outstanding offensive maneuver, and coached during Georgia’s first integrated college basketball game, held December 29, 1961 in Dorough Field House.

The Oglethorpe community will celebrate its basketball tradition during Homecoming Weekend, February 10-12, with activities for children, an alumni basketball game and a dinner and champagne brunch, all sponsored by the Oglethorpe Athletic Department and Office of Alumni Relations. The celebration will begin with an intense rematch, Oglethorpe University’s Stormy Petrels versus the Trinity Tigers on Friday, February 10 at 6:00 p.m. in Dorough Field House. The celebration ends with men’s and women’s games against the Southwestern Pirates on Sunday, February 12 at noon.

During the 90 years of basketball celebration the #33 jersey of Russ Churchwell ’05 will be retired. Churchwell played on the Oglethorpe’s men’s basketball team for four years (2000-2005) and he finished his career as the all-time leading scorer and all-time leading rebounder in the history of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. He also graduated cum laude with a biology degree and is now attending medical school at the Medical College of Georgia. Prior to this, Oglethorpe’s first female All-American, Heather Francoeur ’03, was the only Stormy Petrels basketball player to retire a jersey.

This season the men’s team is coached by Philip Ponder and has a winning 9-6 record. The nationally ranked Oglethorpe women’s team is coached by Ron Sattele and has a 13-2 record.

Located in Atlanta and founded in 1835, Oglethorpe enrolls approximately 1,050 students representing 35 states and 26 countries. The university plays in the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Princeton Review’s The Best 361 Colleges 2006 edition ranks Oglethorpe in its prestigious list and also names it a Best Value College. Oglethorpe University is Georgia’s only coeducational member of the Annapolis Group, an organization of America’s most selective 100 liberal arts institutions.