DANVILLE, Va. — The Piedmont College men's basketball team's season came to an end Thursday with an 87-69 loss to Maryville College in the quarterfinals of the USA South Tournament. The Lions led by as many as 11 in the first half but the Scots used a late run in the final minutes of the first half that extended through the break to seal the victory.
The Lions raced out to a 16-6 lead to start the contest forcing Maryville Head Coach Randy Lambert to call a timeout with 13:43 to play in the first half. The Scots came out of that timeout on a 7-2 run capped off by Dante Hoppa hitting a pair of 3-pointers just before the under-12 media timeout to give him eight of Maryville's 16 points as PC led 20-16 with 11:27 to play.
With nine minutes to play in the first half, the Scots cut it to a one-point game trailing 24-23, but a Trae Gaines 3-pointer kept the Lions out in front. Piedmont maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the first half as Kelly Assinesi hit a last second spin shot in the lane that rimmed in as time expired.
Piedmont led 42-37 at the half as it was statistically even through most categories but the Lions held the advantage out-rebounding the Scots 18-12. Maryville used a 10-4 run over the final three minutes before the half to pull within five and opened the final period on a 10-2 run including another pair of 3-pointers.
A Dante Hoppa three during that run gave the Scots the lead 45-44, but it was a tight game over the next 10 minutes as neither team led by more than four until the Scots' Blake Bowman put them up by five 62-57 with 8:33 to play.
Following a jumper by Justin Vallejo, the Scots began a 12-0 run at the 7:25 mark that distanced them from Piedmont as they hit three 3-pointers over a span of two minutes to lead 74-59. Maryville continued to maintain control of the contest over the final five minutes winning by 18, 87-69.
