MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE — For the first time in three straight appearances in the USA South Championship Game, Maryville College won a title in women's basketball knocking off Piedmont College 60-48 on Saturday afternoon in Tennessee.
In a game of contrasting styles, it was the defense of Maryville that came out on top as the Scots held PC well below their scoring average for the season with Piedmont shooting just over 36% from the field. MC only converted on 37% and it was a five-point game heading into the 4th quarter despite the pace being played at the home team's liking.
Tied at 37 with 8:44 to play, it was a forced-up three-pointer by Madison Maples that sparked Maryville to a 14-2 run over the next 4:08 which separated the two as Piedmont went cold from the field.
In that 14-2 run were back-to-back three pointers from Madison Maples and five straight points from Mackenzie Puckett including a three-pointer by the All-American that made it a double-digit lead for the Scots for the first time on the day with 4:48 remaining in regulation.
The game was tight throughout with only one lead larger than six points in the first three quarters with no team holding a double-digit lead until the Puckett three that made it 11 in the 4th. Puckett had a game-high 25 hitting on 10-of-16 from the floor.
After the late run by Maryville, Piedmont could not close the gap falling to the top seeded Scots by 12 in the Championship Game. It was Piedmont's first appearance in the USA South title game and Maryville's third straight though the Scots won the tourney title for the first time since both joined the league in 2012-13.
Turning Point
--A 14-2 run in just over a four minute period by Maryville during the 4th quarter that featured a trio of three-pointers including back-to-back buckets by Madison Maples.
Standout Performances
--TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI scored 14 points in the title game to lead PC in scoring hitting on 3-of-5 from three-point land in 26 minutes of action.
--CARLY SALES was 4-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-7 at the line to post 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Inside the Box Score
--Maryville held Piedmont to 48 points on the day, 27 points below their season average of better than 75 per coming into the day (top-15 NCAA Division III).
--Both teams turned it over with Piedmont doing so 22 times while Maryville committed 19, but MC turned those into 23 points compared to just 14 for PC off takeways.
News & Notes
--TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI and CARLY SALES were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts in the USA South Championships.
--Piedmont moves to 2-2 against Maryville in title game situations with MC having claimed the 2010 GSAC title while PC won crowns over the Scots in 2007 and 2008.
Up Next
Maryville earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA National Tournament with the win whle Piedmont finishes the 2015-16 season with a 20-8 record overall as the runner-up in both the regular season and USA South Championship Tournament.
