DEMOREST — The Piedmont College women's basketball team got exactly what they were looking for in Tennessee earlier Thursday afternoon knocking off Averett University 83-66 in the quarterfinals of the USA South Championship Tournament.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid and also handed the program its first USA South postseason win since Piedmont joined the league four seasons ago. PC is making its third straight appearance in the USA South Championship Tournament and, with the win, moves to 2-0 against Averett this season after defeating the Cougars earlier this season by nine.
Piedmont shot better than 41 percent in the contest controlling it early with a 15-4 lead mid-way through the opening quarter. With a ten-point lead after the first, Piedmont expanded on the advantage to take a 47-33 lead into the locker room with a lay-up by Carly Sales capping first half action.
Sales would go on to score a season-high 19 in the contest as Piedmont continued to push in the 3rd going on a 7-0 run that put the Lady Lions up by 19 early. However, the damage had already been done in the first half by Piedmont with the Lady Lions securing a spot in the USA South Semis courtesy of the 17-point win over the Cougars Thursday afternoon.
A big-time rematch against Ferrum College, a team that Piedmont already defeated once this season but one which is also the same that eliminated Piedmont from postseason play last year in the USA South quarterfinals. This time around, the two match-up in the semifinals with a spot in the Championship Game on the line. The semifinal match-up for PC against the Panthers is set for a 5 p.m. tip-off in Maryville, Tenn.
