Need to Know
Score: Piedmont 63, Berry 66
Records: Lions 0-3, Vikings 3-3
Location: Demorest, Georgia

DEMOREST, Ga. - In the 2017-18 home opener, the Piedmont College men's basketball team dropped a tight 66-63 decision to Berry College with the game coming down to the wire. Eleven points were scored in the final 35 seconds of play with Berry going 5-of-6 from the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds.

It was a close contest throughout as neither team led by more than five until there were under eight minutes to play in the half when TAYLOR MILLS banked one from downtown to put PC up 23-16. The Lions would go on to build a 10-point advantage with just over five minutes to go in the half and led 34-31 at the break.

In the second half, it was Berry who came out with momentum on its side with a 7-3 run to open the half and regain the lead. LANDRY ASSINESI scored a turnaround fade away jumper with 9:17 to play to tie the game at 46 and ignite the crowd inside Cave Arena.

Just a few minutes later, Piedmont's crowd would once again be on their feet as MARQUISE LANIER slammed it home with one of three dunks for Piedmont in the contest. The Lions cut the Vikings' lead to just a single point over the final minutes but were never able to regain the lead over the final 11:30 minutes of the game.

Berry outscored Piedmont 12 to four at the free throw line converting 75% of their shots from the line compared to Piedmont's 44%.

Turning Point
--A 6-2 run by Berry inside of three minutes to play gave them enough cushion to maintain the advantage and take the victory.

Standout Performances
--JUSTIN VALLEJO led the team in scoring with 16 points while TAYLOR MILLS was just behind him with 14 of his own including scoring four of Piedmont's nine 3-pointers.

Inside the Box Score
--Piedmont had the largest lead of the contest at 10 points with 5:18 to play in the first half.

News & Notes
--Six of the last seven contests against Berry have been decided by four points or fewer.

Up Next
--The Lions return to the court Sunday afternoon hosting Oglethorpe University at 2:00 p.m. inside Cave Arena.

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, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.