Box Score Greensboro, NC - The Piedmont College men's basketball team could not quite keep up in the end of a high-scoring USA South contest as the Lions dropped a 109-96 decision to the Pride of Greensboro College.  Both teams shot the lights out offensively with the Lions and Pride each posting season-high shooting percentages as a team though Greensboro was able to connect on seven more threes than did PC, a factor that proved deciding in a 13-point win for the Pride at home.

The two teams combined for 12 points over the first 2:35 of the game setting up the fast-paced style that fans in Greensboro, North Carolina would get to see throughout the afternoon.  Trailing 14-8 with 12:43 remaining in the first half, Piedmont then went on a 9-0 run capped by a Safari Smith layup that made the score 17-14 in favor of the visitors.

Despite the quick offensive surge from PC, it was the home team who was about to see a show offensively from one of their own as Brandon Pascucci hit back-to-back three-pointers to bring his Greensboro team from down three to up three in just a 12-second time span.  Pascucci went on to hit seven of his first ten shots from the field with all seven coming from downtown as his shooting from three-point land proved a key difference in the game.

With just under eight to go in the half and Greensboro up by five, the Pride scored the next seven points to go up 38-28 looking to take control before the end of the first.  Greensboro did just that scoring another 15 points to take a 53-39 lead into the locker room as the Lions trailed for the first time on their Carolina conference road trip after holding an eight-point halftime edge over Methodist University yesterday afternoon.

In the second half, it was Pascucci who continued to stay hot hitting a pair of three-pointers in a 14-4 run by Greensboro that started the second period putting the Pride up 67-43.  A tri-fecta from Piedmont's Peyton Luken helped soften the pressure and cut the lead down, but the Lions needed more if they were to keep pace with one of Greensboro's best offensive performances of the season.

Trailing by 21 at 88-67 midway through the second, PC continued to look to its youth for production as 20 of Piedmont's next 26 points came from freshmen as the Lions tried to mount one last effort at a comeback in the second half.  The young Lions chipped away over the final ten minutes twice cutting the lead down to 11 with the second time coming with just under three minutes remaining as Greensboro led 96-85.

Running out of time, Piedmont would be forced to send the Pride to the line to play the foul strategy, one which did not work to the advantage of the visitors as Greensboro stepped up to hit 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch, salting away a 109-96 victory in USA South action.

Posting a new season high 96 points as a team, five Lions scored in double figures for PC with four of those being freshmen led by newcomer Jordyn Propst who scored in double digits for the first time in this, his debut season with 19 points on an incredible 9-of-10 shooting performance from the floor.  That's the best such shooting performance by a Lion this season as the youngster from Granite Falls, North Carolina came up just one rebound shy of his first double-double as well with his nine boards representing a game-high as well for either team.

As the only starter in double figures, Brian Edwards picked up his 16 on six of eight shooting while hitting on three of his six free throws.  Edwards added three rebounds and an assist to his total as well.

Tying for the team high with four assists along with teammate Alton Honors II was youngster Peyton Luken who had 11 points, nine of which came from behind the three-point line.  Shooting three of four overall, all three of Luken's made baskets on the afternoon came from downtown, an impressive day for the freshman who had made only seven three pointers all season coming into the day.

With a season-high 13 points was Trae Gaines who connected on four of his eight shots from the field posting a 2-of-3 mark from beyond the three-point line.  Gaines was one of two freshman to also play a career-high in minutes along with his classmate, Jordyn Propst, as several young players were called on to play major minutes in the second of two games for the Lions in less than a 24-hour time span.

The five who scored in double figures for the Lions combined to go 25-of-36 from the floor as they accounted for all but nine of Piedmont's 34 field goals as a team. Despite the high offensive numbers, the 109 points allowed is the most given up by a Piedmont team since a 109-70 loss to Emory University on December 8th, 2012. 

It's also the first time a Greg Neeley coached-team at PC has allowed a team to crest the 100-point barrier in 14 games since the Head Coach arrived to take over at Piedmont. The last three Lions teams allowed 100-plus points in a contest a combined seven times over a 46-game stretch from the 2010-11 season to last year's shortened 2012-13 season.

With the loss, Piedmont drops to 6-8 on the season overall and moves to 1-3 in conference play.  The Lions' previous two losses in conference play coming into the afternoon had come by a combined five points.

Piedmont returns home for its next action hosting North Division foe Ferrum College on Friday evening in a 7:30 pm tip off in Cave Arena.  Live coverage of the January 24th contest will be provided courtesy of the Mane Event Broadcasting Network as well as WCON radio.