RALEIGH, N.C. — A dominant offense for William Peace proved to be too much for the Piedmont College men's basketball team as the Pacers took the USA South opener 103-74 Saturday. For the Pacers, it was the second straight time scoring over 100 at home as they won 108-92 over Roanoke in their last home game.
Piedmont kept the contest close in the early going with a one point advantage at 7-6 just inside 18:00 to play in the first half, but that was the last lead the Lions would have in the game. The game was tied at 15 with 13:47 to play after a layup by JUSTIN VALLEJO but the Pacers began to extend the lead including a 10-0 run that gave William Peace a 14-point lead.
The Pacers used quick transition buckets to distance themselves from the Lions as they led by 18 at the break 54-36. The Pacers shot 70% from 3-point range in the first half with seven 3-pointers while Piedmont had only three from behind the arc shooting 21.4%.
The second half started with a 7-0 run for the Lions bringing the Pacers' lead down to 11, but the Pacers followed that with an 8-0 run of their own to neutralize the threat. William Peace was again explosive from 3-point range scoring nine 3-pointers in the second half including three straight to hit the century mark leading 100-69.
The Lions move to 3-5 overall and drop to 0-1 in the USA South with Ferrum on the schedule Sunday. That contest will be the final USA south contest for Piedmont before the new year.
Turning Point
--The Pacers had a 10-0 mid-way through the first half pushing their lead to 14 at the 7:07 mark and the Lions never cut the lead to less than 10 points from that point on.
Standout Performances
--PEYTON LUKEN continues to impress scoring 20 points in the contest including four 3-pointers.
--The Pacers had six players in double figures in the contest led by Chris Thomas' 15 points.
Inside the Box Score
--The Pacers shot better than 59% from 3-point range connecting 16 times from behind the arc.
News & Notes
--The loss is the first for Piedmont to William Peace as they are 3-1 overall against the Pacers in the series history.
Up Next
Piedmont will travel to Ferrum, Virginia to continue conference play taking on Ferrum College Sunday at 3 p.m.
How to Follow
To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont College Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, Snapchat: @PiedmontLions and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.
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