Demorest, GA – The Piedmont College women’s basketball team trailed at halftime but rallied in the second half to win their 8th straight game taking a 78-64 win over visiting Methodist University in the Cave on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Lions shot almost 55% from the floor in the second half overtaking the Monarchs who held a slim one-point lead at the break. The occassion marked the first time Piedmont had trailed at halftime since needing to rally in the second half of a road win at Meredith. The Lady Lions were behind by seven to the Avenging Angels before scoring 53 in the second half to earn a 20-point win back on January 2.
TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI led her team in scoring for the first time this season depositing 18 on six of nine shooting from the field connecting on three of her four tries from downtown. Four Lady Lions were in double figures including a 15-point, 8-rebound performance from local standout CARLY SALES.
Sales’ high school teammate, sophomore BRIANNA BARRETT, had 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds as well while newcomer CARLIE SHIELDS had ten and led the team with her four assists. Barrett and Swoszowski each added three helpers as well.
Both teams started out cold with neither squad hitting a field goal until Methodist hit on a layup with more than four minutes gone in the first half. Despite the Monarchs scoring first to end the drought, Piedmont would take control holding a 16-6 lead after a three-point play the old fashioned way from MARY KATE RUSHTON with just over ten minutes remaining in the half.
Down by ten, the Monarchs went on a 16-4 run capped by back-to-back threes from Kayla Pless with the second at the 6:16 mark putting the Monarchs in front for the first time since the opening minutes. Piedmont pulled even twice, but Methodist was able to use Sydney Bryan down low to hold up a 1-point lead at the break after a Swoszowski layup trimmed the advantage down.
Shot out of a cannon after the intermission, Piedmont came out to light up the board and get the fans on their feet with Swoszowski hitting on a three in the early going that put her team back in front by two. An 11-2 run over the first four minutes let the Lady Lions once again take hold as the home team would not relinquish the lead again on the afternoon.
Near the midway point of the 2nd, Piedmont scored on four straight possessions with all those points coming in the paint, an area the Lady Lions controlled after allowing Methodist’s Bryan to score 11 points in the first half. Bryan was held by the PC defense to just four points in the second.
A three from Barrett with 8:19 left was the first of two straight for the sophomore and three straight for Piedmont as Swoszowski also connected from deep exactly two minutes later with the Green and Gold feeling a win was within grasp.
Methodist would climb as close as six with 3:32 left on a Monique Lofton three. Each time the Monarchs made a run, Piedmont had an answer though and despite their recent troubles at the line, the Lady Lions connected on six straight tries from the charity stripe from that point on to put the game out of reach.
Piedmont shot 80% from the free throw line in the second half alone. The win was the 8th straight for the Lady Lions who are tearing through USA South competition with an undefeated 6-0 league mark intact.
PC is 13-1 overall, tied for the best such record in the USA South along with nationally ranked Maryville College who cracked the top 25 in both the D3hoops.com and USA Today/WBCA polls back on January 6th. The Scots visit Cave Arena on January 31 with coverage provided live on the Mane Event Broadcasting Network and WCON Radio.
The next contest for Piedmont will be a road test at Ferrum College on Friday, January 23 in Virginia with tip off in the contest set for 7:30 pm. Live stats and video coverage will be provided courtesy of the Office of Sports Information at Ferrum College.
