The Piedmont College men's basketball team earned a key NCAA-III South Region road win this afternoon as the Lions snapped Averett University's five-game winning streak with a 79-77 non-conference victory at AU's Grant Center. Piedmont held off a late Cougar rally as Tyler Whitlock blocked an Averett shot that would have forced overtime. 

After a slow start, Piedmont raced out to a 13-point lead midway through the first half only to see the host charge back to cut the lead to one at intermission. 

Piedmont again gained a double-figure advantage midway through the second period only to see Averett score the game's final seven points to force the late dramatics. 

With five seconds remaining in the game and Averett (9-4) with the ball trailing by two, Andrew Boor made a move from the left side of the basket and went in for a lay-up. However, Whitlock was able to swat Boor's shot away, preserving the 79-77 Lions' victory.

Piedmont was able to force the hot-shooting Cougars into just 36% from the field including a dismal 30% from three which are both well below their averages.

Mike Adams led all scorers with a game-high 20 points including 4-7 from behind the three-point line. Whitlock and Adcock added 12 and 11 points respectively. The two teams each tallied 43 rebounds on the afternoon.

The win moves Piedmont to 6-4 overall on the season with the Lions wrapping up a two-game road trip through the USA-South Athletic Conference with a game at two-time defending league champion Methodist College tomorrow afternoon at 4:00.