Box Score Lookout Mountain, GA - Despite another stellar night for sophomore TRAE GAINES, the Piedmont College men's basketball team came up short Wednesday against Covenant College losing 75-72. Gaines hit his first double-double of his career with a team-high 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against the Scots.

Gaines has proved himself as a leader off the bench throughout the season including 21 points in 24 minutes against Emory and his buzzer beater against Maryville that is still receiving national attention. Gaines is currently nominated for the GEICO Play of the Year which is determined depending on the fans vote. To vote for Gaines, click here.

The Lions were the first to score but trailed by as many as six in the opening minutes before CHRIS MEEKS and Gaines both hit buckets to cut it to a two point game. Gaines made nine straight for the Lions but during that span the Scots scored 16.

With 11:11 remaining in the first half, the Lions trailed by 13 at 30-17, their largest deficit to that point, but Piedmont would reel off a 14-1 run to tie the game at 31 all with 3:37 till the break. During that span, PEYTON LUKEN hit three 3-pointers and hit another on the Lions' next basket to make it four from beyond the arc and put the men in green and gold up by two.

JUSTIN VALLEJO hit a layup to put Piedmont up by four, their largest lead to that point, but with 1:38 to go the Scots tied it again. JESSIE JENKINS reclaimed the lead for the Lions but with just three seconds on the clock the Scots' Colton McGriff connected on a jumper to send the game to the half tied at 39.

In the second half, it was evenly matched to begin, but Covenant rolled off six in a row to open up a lead. The Scots never led by more than that and the Lions came back to tie the game on a Meeks layup at 62 with just under 10:00 to go.

A Gaines 3-pointer put the men in green and gold back on top with 8:53 to go and the Lions kept the advantage in the contest until inside of 3:00 to play when T.J. Cox hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 72.

In the final 3:00 of play, the Lions were unable to make a shot and committed five turnovers. Cox hit a layup with a single second remaining in the game and was fouled on the way up hitting his free throw shot as well.

The Lions committed 21 turnovers in the game leading to 19 points for the Scots who only gave up 10 turnovers. The Lions outrebounded the Scots 37-24 and made seven blocks to the Scots single block.

JUSTIN VALLEJO was the second leading scorer on the team with 14 points and four rebounds, as Vallejo and Gaines combined for 33 of the 35 points off the bench. Luken was the other Lion in double figures as he had 12 points going 4-of-8 from 3-point range.

The Lions will be back in action at home this weekend with two key contests against LaGrange and Huntingdon. First up are the Panthers as Piedmont hosts LaGrange on February 14 with tipoff at 2 p.m.