BEREA, Ky. – In another game that came down to the final minute, Piedmont men’s basketball fell 87-83 in a heartbreaker at Berea on Saturday afternoon.
The contest featured 13 lead changes with the score being tied nine separate times as neither side was able to pull away. The Lions took the lead 83-82 in the final minute, but the Mountaineers scored the final five points of the game to pull out the victory.
Despite the loss, Ryan Jolly and Fisher Darden delivered outstanding performances, with both contributing double-doubles. Jolly tallied 17 points to go with a season-best 11 assists, while Darden caught fire from deep, finishing one shy of a career-high with 22 points and adding 10 rebounds for his second career double-double. Darden connected on 5-of-6 three-point attempts for the game.
Noah Reardon was also in double figures in scoring with 15 points while Joe Helenbrook grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the team.
Piedmont’s high-octane offense jumped out to a fast start again, with Reardon converting on three triples in the game’s first five minutes.
After the Lions led 12-9 in the early going, Berea reeled off a 13-2 run to jump ahead by eight with 12:41 remaining in the first half. The Mountaineers led most of the way in the first half but Piedmont rallied to take a 51-46 lead into the locker room.
The Lions led by six early in the second half, but a 9-1 run by Berea gave it the lead back.
The teams went back-and-forth the rest of the way with neither team leading by more than five down the stretch. Trailing 82-78 with under two minutes to play, Jolly delivered a steal and layup followed by a three-pointer from Darden to give the Lions an 83-82 lead.
Unfortunately, the Mountaineers’ Trey Minter finished a tough driving layup in traffic and converted the free throw to finish off a three-point play. Needing a two-pointer to tie as the seconds ticked down, Berea forced a turnover and sealed the game at the free-throw line.
Up next, the Lions will head to Maryville to take on the Scots on Sunday at 2 p.m.
TURNING POINT:
— After Piedmont took a one-point lead with 26 seconds to go, the three-point play by Minter lifted the Mountaineers to victory.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
— Jolly delivered his second double-double of the season, adding a season-high 11 assists.
– Darden knocked down 5-of-6 from deep, leading the Lions with 22 points and pulling in 10 rebounds.
– Helenbrook added a game-high 14 rebounds.
– Reardon joined Darden with five three-point makes on the day.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– The Lions (14-of-29) doubled the Mountaineers’ output from the three-point line.
– Berea shot 51.8% from the field while holding the Lions to 38.9%.
NEWS AND NOTES:
–This was the first meeting between the two since Piedmont won in double-OT in the CCS Quarterfinals in 2023.
