Need to Know
Score: Piedmont 83, Averett 66
Records: Lady Lions 19-7 (13-3 USA South), Cougars 14-12 (9-7 USA South)
Location: Maryville, Tennessee - Boydson H. Baird Gymnasium

Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College women's basketball team got exactly what they were looking for in Tennessee earlier Thursday afternoon knocking off Averett University 83-66 in the quarterfinals of the USA South Championship Tournament. 

The win snapped a three-game losing skid and also handed the program its first USA South postseason win since Piedmont joined the league four seasons ago.  PC is making its third straight appearance in the USA South Championship Tournament and, with the win, moves to 2-0 against Averett this season after defeating the Cougars earlier this season by nine.

Piedmont shot better than 41% in the contest controlling it early with a 15-4 lead mid-way through the opening quarter.  With a ten-point lead after the first, Piedmont expanded on the advantage to take a 47-33 lead into the locker room with a lay-up by CARLY SALES capping first half action.

Sales would go on to score a season-high 19 in the contest as Piedmont continued to push in the 3rd going on a 7-0 run that put the Lady Lions up by 19 early.  However, the damage had already been done in the first half by Piedmont with the Lady Lions securing a spot in the USA South Semis courtesy of the 17-point win over the Cougars Thursday afternoon.

Turning Point
--A 3rd quarter, 7-0 run quickly quieted any chance of a second half rally by Averett as Piedmont used a TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI three-pointer to spark a big quarter and take a commanding 16-point lead into the 4th.

Standout Performances
--CARLY SALES scored 19 points as one of four Lady Lions in double figures as the junior shot a season-high 72% when taking more than six shots from the field.
--JATASIA BAILEY lit up the board from three-point land hitting on five-of-six from deep and six-of-eight overall for 17 points.
--TAYLOR SWOSZOWSKI shot 70% (7-of-10) from the field for 15 points while adding a pair of assists.

Inside the Box Score
--DAKOTA SULLENS came up just one rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine boards, the second time that's happened this season...Sullens leads the team with her three double-doubles in 15-16 as no other Lady Lion has more than one.
--Piedmont's top four scorers all put in totals that were in their respective top three scoring performances for the season including leader CARLY SALES whose 19 points was a season-high.
--Sales' 19 was three points shy of her career high 22 scored by a then freshman against NC Wesleyan on January 12, 2014.

News & Notes
--The win should have been expected by Piedmont faithful as the last time PC was on a three-game losing streak, the Lady Lions also got a win...And then 13 more came after as Piedmont tied its program-best winning streak.

Up Next
A big-time rematch against Ferrum College, a team that Piedmont already defeated once this season but one which is also the same that eliminated Piedmont from postseason play last year in the USA South quarterfinals.  This time around, the two match-up in the semifinals with a spot in the Championship Game on the line. The semifinal match-up for PC against the Panthers is set for a 5:00 pm tip-off in Maryville, TN. 

How to Follow
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