The first half spelled disaster for the Piedmont College men's basketball team this afternoon as they fell to Great South Athletic Conference powerhouse Maryville College in Maryville, TN by the score of 92-63. The loss is the third straight conference defeat for Piedmont who slides to 8-12 overall.

The Scots jumped out to a 28-14 advantage in the first 12 minutes of action. After a Sam Coppage jumper cut the lead to 12 the home team went on an 11-0 run that featured four offensive rebounds. MC ended the half on a 9-0 run capped by a halfcourt three-pointer at the horn to carry a 55-27 lead into intermission.

In the second half the Lions trailed by a game high 38 points with 11 minutes remaining. Piedmont outscored the Scots down the stretch but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. When the final horn sounded the home team walked away with the 92-63 decision.   

J.C. HEREBIA led the Lions with 20 points including a team best seven field goals. Guards MICHAEL RUBIO and Sam Coppage chipped in with 16 and 15 points apiece while TRACEY GARDNER added a squad best six rebounds.

The Scots dominated the glass 51-23 including 22 offensive boards. The Lions were able to shoot 21-52 (40%) from the field but the home team hit a remarkable 37-73 (51%) of their attempts including nine tri-fectas. The Lions drop to 0-3 in the conference while MC improves to 3-0.

Piedmont will return home to Cave Arena on Wednesday, February 4th as they host in-state rival Oglethorpe University with tip-off scheduled for 8:00.