Box Score Lookout Mountain, GA – The Piedmont College men's basketball team came away with a key road victory earlier tonight when knocking off Covenant College 78-70 on the road in the first of two matchups with the Scots on the week.  Piedmont's eight-point win in USA South play keeps the Lions' postseason hopes alive and well for a team with a bevy of youth which has been forced to grow up fast.

Piedmont started off the game on a 13-2 run over the first five minutes highlighted by an Austin Pearson three-pointer on the fastbreak as the Lions looked to distance themselves early on.  Despite the double digit lead on the road, the Lions found out quick they would be in for a USA South battle at the home of the Scots who stormed back to score 22 of the next 32 points to take the lead at 24-23 with just over seven minutes to go until halftime.

Tied at 27 with under four to go in the period, the two squads fought for the right to head into the locker room with the lead with Piedmont coming out ahead in that battle as Alton Honors II broke free to break the deadlock with his dunk on the fastbreak.  Honors II had four points in that first half as PC would get seven of their final 11 points in the opening period from the charity stripe taking a 40-36 lead at the break, marking the first time the young Lions held a halftime lead since holding a 17-point advantage at the break in a 108-90 win over Averett University more than two weeks ago.

After a back-and-forth second half start led to a 46-41 lead for Piedmont, Trae Gaines found teammate Peyton Luken open for three as the youngster calmly knocked it down to push his team's lead up to eight.  Taking his classmate's cue, fellow freshman Chase England then stepped up to knock down another three as the Lions pushed the tempo on the road taking a 52-41 lead with just under 16 minutes remaining. 

Play slowed down over the next 11 minutes as Covenant built a 15-7 run to pull back within three and just 5:16 remaining in the game.  After Covenant's Chris Boyd did damage inside to cut the lead to a single point, the decision looked to be in doubt for the traveling Lions who were playing their first of three road games in the next four games on the schedule.

Despite leading by just one at 59-58, the Lions roared back with an answer scoring the next eight points to surge ahead 67-58 putting the heat right back on the hosting Scots with under three minutes to play in Lookout Mountain.  Covenant would hit just four field goals over the final four minutes with two of those being desperation threes in the waning seconds as they did not have enough to upend the Lions who connected on ten of their final 12 free throw attempts to ice an important 78-70 victory.

The win puts Piedmont just a game back of the 8th and final playoff spot for the USA South Championships as PC continues to push its way for a postseason berth.  The Lions stand now at 3-7 in USA South action behind NC Wesleyan who sits at 4-6 in 8th as of tonight.

Four Lions were in double figures scoring-wise led by freshman Chase England who tallied 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting picking up six points at the charity stripe.  England also topped the rebounding column coming up just two boards shy of a double-double as Piedmont was led in scoring by a freshman for the 7th time in the last eight games.

England's classmate Brian Edwards was also in double figures as he scored 12 on six of ten shooting while the remaining two in double digits were veterans in Jessie Jenkins and Safari Smith who each had 11 for Head Coach Greg Neeley.  For Smith, all 11 of his his points came at the free throw line while Jenkins shot 75% from the field as the Capital One Academic All-District honoree has come alive on the court as of late shooting 50% (14 of 28) over his last five games. 

Piedmont moves to 8-12 overall with the win snapping a three-game losing streak in conference play.  However, the tests will only continue for the young team who must turn around quickly to host the Scots of Covenant in a rematch this Thursday night at the Cave with tip off set for 7:30 pm.  Live coverage will be provided courtesy of the Mane Event Broadcasting Network as well as WCON radio.