Demorest, GA – The Piedmont College women’s basketball team had a chance late against 18th ranked Maryville College to pull the upset but saw the Scots ride the play of All-American Mackenzie Puckett in the closing minutes to a 71-58 victory over the Lady Lions (15-3, 8-2 USA South).
Puckett scored seven of Maryville’s next nine points after a MARY KATE RUSHTON had tied the game at 52 all with 7:28 remaining. The Scots finished the game on a 19-6 run sparked by Puckett’s play as Maryville (17-1, 9-0 USA South) handed Piedmont just its second loss in ten home games this season.
Rushton was the top scorer for Piedmont in the game with her 14 points coming on five of twelve shooting from the floor as Piedmont shot under 37% as a team, only the 4th time that has happened in 2014-15. Also in double figures was LE’SHAUNDA JONES who had 12 points hitting on her first four tries from the field on the day.
Perimeter defense helped Piedmont get back in the contest after the Scots had built a 7-point lead at the half with impressive play on the offensive end picking up 12 assists on 16 baskets made in the first half. Ball movement helped the Scots sink four first half threes as Maryville led 39-32 at the break with the Lady Lions turning the ball over at an alarming rate, 10 in the first half alone.
PC averaged less than 17 turnovers coming into the day, but were able to settle into the flow of the game after halftime gradually chipping away at the Scots’ lead over the first ten minutes of the half. After four straight points from Maryville had pushed the lead to 11 coming out of the locker room, a Rushton three-pointer helped PC get it back down to single digits as the home team scored eight of the next ten points to make it a one-possession game.
Piedmont continued to stay within striking distance over the next few minutes until with 7:28 to play, Mary Kate was at it again with a baby hook shot as she was coming across the lane finding nothing but net to tie it up at 52-52. A quick timeout by Head Coach Jamie Purdy allowed the Cave Crazies to feed on the energy, but the Lady Lions would need a stop on the next possession and the ball back to have a chance to take their first lead of the afternoon.
PC picked up the stop it needed, but could not connect on the offensive end to go ahead. With the Lady Lion defense doing its job again and the shot clock winding all the way down to just two seconds, it was Maryville’s All-American in Mackenzie Puckett who put her team on her back as she rose up for a deep three-pointer and connected to stifle the Piedmont comeback in the Cave.
Puckett would score on Maryville’s next possession and again just a minute later on a pull-up jumper to give the Scots now a 59-52 advantage with less than five to play, a 7-point lead that all of a sudden seemed insurmountable for the home team.
After the Rushton lay-in that tied it up with 7:28 to go, Piedmont would not score again until a BRIANNA BARRETT step-back three with just over a minute to play as the Lady Lions went cold from the field after heating things up at the midway point. Piedmont would fall by the eventual 13-point scoreline as Maryville shot better than 85% from the free throw line on the day hitting two more with just seconds to play in the contest.
Barrett finished the day with just five points but collected five assists to once again lead her team in that category. Barrett has topped her team in that column 11 times this season including three of the last four games as she also is ranked 3rd in the league in that category.
With the loss, Piedmont falls to 15-3 overall and is now 8-2 in the USA South. PC is in 3rd place in the South Division of the league, but four games clear of 4th place Huntingdon College and only a game back of 2nd place LaGrange College who sits at 9-1 in league play.
The Panthers are next up for Piedmont on the schedule as the Lady Lions visit LaGrange on Wednesday, February 4 for a 7:30 pm tip off. The contest will be covered with live stats, video and audio courtesy of the Sports Information Department at LaGrange College.
