Box Score Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College men's basketball team had a chance at a second straight overtime game but saw Austin Pearson's effort in the final seconds rattle in and out as the Lions fell 72-69 to fellow USA South foe Huntingdon College.  With the win, the Hawks tighten their grip on 3rd place in the league standings while the Lions sit two games back of the 8th and final spot of the USA South Championship field with an important five-game conference stretch to come, three of which come on the road for PC.

For the fourth straight game, it was first-year Head Coach Greg Neeley's young freshman who took the court to start in Piedmont's own version of the Michigan famed fab five from years ago.  However, the storybook script looked to be swayed against the youngsters in the opening minutes as the Hawks took the first points of the game with Terry Moorer's layup at less than two minutes in.

The young Lions answered quickly and confidently with three consecutive three-point buckets, one from two-time USA South Rookie of the Week Chase England and two from youngster Peyton Luken who, after his late-game heroics from downtown against LaGrange, is growing into a role fitting of the cool-hand-Luken nickname.

With under 13 to go in the first, the Hawks attempted to tie the game at 12-12 when Alex Layson took off for a game-tying layup, but Safari Smith did not get the memo as he pinned the effort from Layson on the back board to stun the crowd and keep Piedmont in front with the block.

Approaching the mid-way point, a jumper from Moorer gave the Hawks the lead 16 to the Lions' 15 points with a little over ten minutes left in the half. The Lions attempted to take the game back, and with Trae Gaines' bucket from downtown, assisted by Jordyn Propst, they were close with 22 points to the Hawks' 23 with barely over 6 minutes left in the half.

Trae Gaines did it again a minute later displaying the lost art of the mid-range jumper with his effort on the inside now putting the Lions over the Hawks 24-23. Huntingdon worked to take the game back with a dunk by Byron Dudley with 2:40 left in the half as HC went up three at 30-27. Not to be outdone by the visitors, Piedmont's Jessie Jenkins' proceeded to take on all but the Hawks sitting on the bench as he drove baseline and threw down a two-handed dunk with 1:56 left in the half that put Piedmont back up 32-31. 

Depite taking the lead, Piedmont's defense could not hold out until the half as the Lions headed to the locker room down one point with Jerome Davis' 3 pointer to close the half with 35 points to the Lions' 34. Out of the locker room with a sense of determination, the Lions' fab five scored first with Chase England's jumper assisted by Brian Edwards with less than a minute into the period.

A hard fought rebound and a successful attempt from outside the three point line brought Austin Pearson's total to six on the night adding to the Lions' 44 pushing their lead to over the Hawks' 42 points with 13:26 still to go in the game. Three more ties before the midway point of the second half kept the game close over the next few minutes as both teams fought for momentum.

Only four points away from the Hawks, Lion Jessie Jenkins attempted to ignite some energy into his team with his jumper at 3:23 and his two made free throws with only 2:26 left in the game which put PC down two, 68-66.  The Hawks answered putting in another jumper up as Byron Dudley connected to put the Hawks up four with just over two to go.

Despite the four-point lead, Huntingdon could only watch as Piedmont's England drilled a straight away three that put PC behind just one and only 1:18 to go.  Big man Terry Moorer again brought the Huntingdon response working down low to score and put the Hawks up three with 40 seconds to play.

Piedmont would have two chances to tie freeing up Austin Pearson for both efforts, but the youngster was unable to connect as his last effort rattled in and out on a day not meant to be for the home Lions.  Huntingdon came away with the 72-69 win in an up-tempo game that saw 135 field goals combined from the two high flying teams.

The Lions saw freshman Trae Gaines continue his rise during a debut season as the youngster came up just one rebound shy of his first career double-double with 13 points and nine boards, six of which came on the defensive end.  Gaines shot 50% exactly (5-of-10) from the field hitting two of his three efforts from downtown as he also posted a game-high three blocks. 

Two other Lions scored in double figures as freshman Chase England and sophomore Jessie Jenkins each had a dozen combing to shoot nine of 14 from the field.  England was two of five from three including a late tri-fecta that put the Lions within one of the visitors and just over a minute remaining.  England also took down a half dozen boards and picked up a team-high three assists.

Jenkins was lights out with his four of five shooting including an SC Top Ten worthy dunk with a hand in the face that put the Lions up one with just under two minutes to play in the first half.  Recently honored as a Capital One Academic All-District honoree, the former South Region Rookie of the Year looked the part with his throw down that gave PC a first half lead late.

The Lions drop to 7-12 overall and 2-7 in league play with the loss as PC has dropped three straight conference decisions with the last two coming by a combined nine points. 

Piedmont now hits the road for its next battle when the team travels to Northwest Georgia on Monday, February 10th for a showdown with Covenant College in the first of two matchups on the week with the Scots after a schedule change in January.  Tip off on the 10th is set for 7:30 pm.  The game is a make-up contest for one which was originally scheduled during the week that Georgia was blasted with winter weather.