Need to Know
Score: Piedmont 84 , Hanover 77
Records: Lady Lions 7-4, Panthers 5-5
Location: Demorest, Georgia - Cave Arena

Demorest, GA - In the Cancer Awareness Tournament Championship, the Lady Lions prevailed after trailing by as many as 11 to win 84-77 over the Hanover Panthers to earn the tournament title. This is the second straight Cancer Awareness Tournament the Lady Lions have hosted and they have won the tournament both times.

Piedmont struggled in the first half trailing by six heading into the second quarter, and the Panthers held their largest lead of the game with 8:33 remaining before the break on an Ashley Malloy 3-pointer. The Lady Lions fought back though with a 6-0 run over a minute span late in the second quarter to trail by just three at the break. 

In the second half, it was the Swoszowski show as TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half. Piedmont tied the game at 41 with 7:47 to go in the third and took the lead 42-41 on the old-fashioned three point play by BRIANNA BARRETT. 

The game was tied once more in the third period but the Lady Lions held the lead throughout the fourth quarter, extending it to as many as 12 with 6:00 to play before the Panthers made a late dash. 

Hanover trailed by 8 with 1:50 to play but made it a three point game on a 5-0 run courtesy of a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer. The Lady Lions saw a pair of offensive rebounds inside of a minute to play before scoring five in the final 12 seconds to seal the tournament title.

TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI led the way with 17 points in a season-high performance while JATASIA BAILEY added 13 and DAKOTA SULLENS scored 12 while having a team-best 6 rebounds. The Lady Lions ended the night shooting 64% from the line while only hitting 39% from the charity stripe in Tuesday's contest v. Centre. 

Turning Point
--In the final minute of play with just a three point lead, the Lady Lions saw a pair of offensive rebounds that led to a layup by BRIANNA BARRETT, then a steal and dish by JATASIA BAILEY sealed the fate of the Panthers. 

Standout Performances
--TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI had a season-best 17 points as she was averaging 4.1 coming into the contest.
--CARLIE SHIELDS had six assists in the first half finishing with eight while also scoring six points.

Inside the Box Score
--Piedmont started off shooting 2-of-12 from three-point land but stayed within three points at the halftime break.

News & Notes
--Hanover advanced to today's Championship Game via a 90-40 win over Salem on Tuesday while Piedmont defeated Salem by eight, 60-52 to earn their spot in the title game.
--Piedmont came into the day having won five of its last six contests with all those coming in the month of December.
--Today was the first known meeting between the two programs.

Up Next
The Lady Lions will be back in action on Tuesday, January 5 as Piedmont travels to face Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.  Tipoff between the two USA South foes is set for 5:30 pm with live stats and video available for fans unable to make it to the game. 

How to Follow
To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont College Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, Snapchat: @PiedmontLions and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.