Box Score Listen to Coach Purdy talk postgame on the Mane Event Broadcasting Network

Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College women's basketball team clinched the #2 seed in the South Division of the USA South earlier tonight with an 81-53 victory over visiting Covenant College in the Cave.  The Lady Lions allowed only 22 first-half points while scoring 50 themselves en route to the rout that finishes their regular season with a 17-8 overall record and an 11-5 mark in league action.  

Piedmont led 10-4 early on after Mary Kate Rushton pumped in a three-point effort to help spark the early success for PC on the court in a game that was a rematch of last Monday night's contest at Covenant before a winter storm rolled through Georgia rescheduling the Piedmont home contest to tonight. 

However, before the clock read 15 minutes left in the first, Covenant trimmed the Piedmont lead down to two at 12-10 on an Alexis Storteboom jumper in the paint.  After a pair of steals from Le'Shaunda Jones led to a pair of layups just prior to the midway point in the first, a Rushton free throw extended the Piedmont lead to ten at 24-14, the largest lead of the game for the Lady Lions to that point.

That margin came in a stretch that saw the Lady Lions score 19 straight points to blow the lead up to 20 points with just under nine minutes to go in the first half.  A Covenant free throw with 7:36 remaining broke a nearly six minute scoreless streak by the visitors as the Lady Lions tightened up defensively to keep the Scots at bay. 

The lead only continued to grow when a Chandler Alverson heads up pass found a wide open Carly Sales under the basket to make the lead 41-18 with just over four minutes left in the half.  Turnovers proved the difference as 16 of Piedmont's 41 points to that point came on 11 turnovers by the Lady Scots who struggled against the full court pressure from PC early on.

Shooting 81% from the free throw line in the first half, Piedmont got it done everywhere to hold a 50-22 lead at the break with the scoring leader through 20 minutes being Taylor Swoszowski who had eight in the opening period.  Leading by 28 at the intermission, the Lady Lions were well on their way to yet another victory in the Cave, a place where PC held an 8-4 record on the season.

Covenant would come out strong in the opening minutes of the second half scoring seven points before two minutes had run off the clock.  However, the Lady Lions kept pace in the up-tempo second half scoring six of their own in that same stretch as Covenant could not cut into the Piedmont lead despite their best effort. 

The Lady Scots did connect on a three-pointer in the second half hitting from distance for the first time on the night, but the evening saw the visiting team shoot just one of 11 from downtown while Piedmont was eight of 29.  Piedmont controlled the style of play as well getting to the line 34 times while Covenant was there only half as much with an 8-of-15 showing. 

That Lady Scot three pointer came with just under six minutes to go in the game as the Lady Lions had already taken control earlier in the contest en route to an eventual 81-53 victory over Covenant. 

Taylor Swoszowski led the team with her 15 points shooting an impressive 12-of-12 at the free throw line where she did her most damage on the evening. The dozen free throws is the second most taken by Swoszowski on the year as she went 9-for-13 in an 80-70 home win over NC Wesleyan on January 12th.

Chandler Alverson had the most well rounded night as she totaled ten points, six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in the run-away victory. Alverson has keyed the Piedmont offense the last nine games averaging better than 13 points in that same stretch. 

Coming off the bench to score an impressive 14 points was LeShaunda Jones who also contributed four steals to lead the Lady Lions in that defensive category with several steal and scores to her credit.  Alverson tied for the team-high in rebounds along with senior Lauren Hamel who played her final game in the Cave with the Lady Lions getting a win, the same way she started her career in the Cave when she tallied 12 points in a 67-44 victory over visiting Oglethorpe on November 23rd, 2010.

With the win, Piedmont moves to 17-8 overall and goes 11-5 in the USA South 2013-14 season wrapping up their regular season with tonight's 28 point victory over Covenant.  The Lady Lions also sweep the season series with the Lady Scots after taking a 29-point win on the road last Monday night, 82-53.

Piedmont will now await word on just when and where the team will head to for the USA South Championship Tournament.  For continuing coverage of the Piedmont women's basketball team's quest for a USA South title at the year-end championship tourney held next week, continue to check back in at PiedmontLions.com or follow us on Twitter @PiedmontLions.