DEMOREST — In a tightly contested game that came down to the final shot, the Piedmont College men's basketball team walked away with a victory over Ferrum College 65-62.
Piedmont held a seven point lead with 3:00 to go but went scoreless in the final minutes holding on to claim their third victory in USA South play.
Piedmont trailed through most of the first half, as they were behind by nine with just over six minutes to play until the break. A PEYTON LUKEN three-pointer cut it to just a four point lead less than a minute later while hitting another with a little over four minutes to play till halftime.
The Lions trailed at the break 29-28 but tied the game up at 35 on another Luken long shot and took the lead on a CHRIS MEEKS layup on their next possession. Meeks would connect again followed by a pair of Justin Vallejo baskets including a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to six points.
The game was tied again at 44 before Piedmont used an 11-2 run to open up the game into what appeared to be a promising lead with 8:36 to play. The Panthers fought back into it and kept it a close contest until the end.
The Lions were led by Vallejo who scored 15 points while adding 9 rebounds as four athletes finished with double-digit points. Peyton Luken, who was hitting from deep, nailed four three-pointers, half the Lions' total on the night.
Turning Point
--After the game was tied at 44 with just over 12 minutes to go, the Lions used a 11-2 run to build a 9-point lead and position themselves to close down the stretch.
Standout Performances
--PEYTON LUKEN's hot hand from 3-point range led the way as he accounted for four of the eight three's the Lions made.
--JUSTIN VALLEJO led all scorers with 15 points while also adding 9 rebounds.
Inside the Box Score
--The Lions out-shot the Panthers in the second-half making 54% of their shots while holding the Panthers to just 36% in the final frame.
--In a game that was fairly even statistically, both teams scored 23 points off the bench.
News & Notes
--Both teams held a nine-point lead in the game with the Panthers' coming with six minutes remaining in the first while Piedmont's came with eight minutes left in the game.
Up Next
Piedmont will be on the road in action at Toccoa Falls for the second time this season on Tuesday, January 26. The Lions and Screaming Eagles will tip off at 7 p.m.
