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DEMOREST, Ga. – In an improbable comeback that saw Piedmont trail by as many as 16 points, the men’s basketball team delivered a thrilling overtime victory Sunday evening 91-83 over Birmingham-Southern.
The Lions’ defense kept the Panthers off the board in the final 2:56 of regulation and the offense managed 10 points to tie it up. Bailey Wiseman banked the game-tying three-pointer with 16 seconds remaining, marking his second 3-pointer in the final 1:32 of regulation.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐓! #d3hoops pic.twitter.com/djrhTnqnkF
— Piedmont Basketball (@Lions_MBB) November 27, 2023
In the second half, Piedmont outscored the Panthers 49-36 after totaling just 24 points in the opening half. In overtime, Piedmont kept momentum and quickly took a five-point lead, but the Panthers hung tough.
Noah Reardon converted crucial free throws in the final 30 seconds of OT to make it 89-83 and Wiseman capped it off with a dunk to close it out.
And the ‼️ #d3hoops pic.twitter.com/N7sfIpptqS
— Piedmont Basketball (@Lions_MBB) November 27, 2023
The Panthers were cruising in the first half and built a 13-point lead at the break 37-24. The 24 points are the least the Lions have managed in a half this season.
Piedmont cut it to an eight-point game off a fastbreak layup by Ryan Jolly with 14:01 to go in regulation, but that was as close as Piedmont would come until the 7:35 mark when three separate technical fouls were assessed.
It was a pair of offsetting technicals given to players and a technical on the bench for BSC that sent Jolly to the line, where he made a pair of free throws to cut it to a six-point game.
The Lions trailed by 13 with 5:19 to play, but the comeback was completed inside a raucous Cave Arena.
Up next, the Lions will continue their five-game homestand taking on Millsaps on Friday, December 1, at 3 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
–Piedmont trailed by 10 with less than three to play in regulation and the defense kept the Panthers off the board while the offense closed the gap.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
—Bailey Wiseman was lights out in the final minutes of this contest as he scored 13 points in the last 6:32 of the game, including overtime.
—Ryan Jolly led all scorers with 26 points going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
–Two Lions posted career-highs in rebounds as Joe Helenbrook delivered 17 rebounds in the game while Fisher Darden added 15.
𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐘. 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍.
16 points in the OT victory for the Lions with none bigger than the 3 to tie the game in regulation! #d3hoops pic.twitter.com/V1cR05pN1Z
— Piedmont Basketball (@Lions_MBB) November 27, 2023
NEWS AND NOTES:
–Piedmont scored 91 points in both contests over the weekend after averaging 91 points through the first four games of the season.
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