LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – Piedmont men’s basketball dominated from start to finish in a 90-61 dismantling of Rhodes on Saturday afternoon on Lookout Mountain.
One day after setting the school record for points in a game, the Lions used a smothering defense and more efficient offense to take down the Lynx.
Fisher Darden’s layup with 16:11 left in the first half gave Piedmont a 6-5 lead and from there, the Lions never trailed the rest of the way, extending the lead to double digits later in the first half while continuing to pull away throughout the second.
It was an all-around team effort for Piedmont, with five players reaching double figures. An all-around spectacular performance by Javi Marlowe led the group, as the senior delivered 16 points to lead the team while adding in seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks. Fisher Darden poured in 14 points while Israel Hall, Griffin Neville and Bailey Wiseman added 11 each.
Overall, the Lions shot 56.1% from the field and held Rhodes to just 33.3% shooting. Piedmont also dominated the turnover battle, committing just eight while forcing 16 Lynx turnovers and scoring 20 points off those turnovers.
Holding a slim 23-21 lead in the final minutes of the first half, the Lions blitzed the Lynx with a 15-1 run over the final 4:04 of the first half punctuated by a three-pointer from Hall.
While the Lions held the Lynx at arm’s length in the early stages of the opening half, they truly put the game away down the stretch, with the final margin of 29 points being the team’s largest lead of the contest.
For his efforts over the two games, Marlowe was named Tournament MVP while Darden earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
TURNING POINT:
– Piedmont began to separate itself midway through the first half and never looked back in pulling away for the 29-point margin of victory.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Marlowe was named Tournament MVP with a stat-sheet stuffing performance of 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks, leading the team in all categories.
– Darden earned All-Tournament honors with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– Piedmont had 11 different players score in the game, including a 30-21 advantage in bench points.
