Need to Know
Score: Piedmont 79, Huntingdon 54
Records: Lady Lions 29-7 (USA South 11-3), Hawks 20-7 (USA South 11-3)
Location: Demorest, Georgia - Cave Arena

Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College women's basketball team defeated the Hawks of Huntingdon College in quarterfinal action of the USA South Tournament as PC exploded in the early minutes to beat the Hawks 79-54.

The Lady Lions were on a roll off the tip off with a 17-2 lead after 10 minutes of play. In this stretch alone, BRIANNA BARRETT notched 8 points in a row with back-to-back threes and a pair of free throws. Piedmont closed it out 25-10 in the opening quarter of the quarterfinal matchup.

The second quarter was filled with free points as 11 total points came from the charity stripe between the two teams. Huntingdon would edge out Piedmont by one point in the second quarter but the first quarter deficit kept the Lady Lions ahead 41-27.

The third quarter was PC's slowest offensive stand in the game, however, they outscored the Hawks 15-14 in the third. Ten of the Lady Lions points came from junior CARLIE SHIELDS as Piedmont entered the fourth with a 15-point lead 56-41.

The closest the Hawks would get to PC in the final quarter was a 13-point differential. The highlight for the Lady Lions in the fourth was the final substitution in Cave Arena of the three PC seniors ERIN CLIFFORD, BRIANNA BARRETT, and CARLY SALES. PC took the quarterfinal over the Hawks 79-54.

Turning Point
--The 25-point first quarter gave PC all of the momentum and shooting confidence to maintain the lead throughout the game.

Standout Performances
--DAKOTA SULLENS was the leading scorer for PC as she notched a team-high 16 points.
--BRIANNA BARRETT was able to get the ball back with 8 defensive rebounds while also putting up 11 points.

Inside the Box Score
--The Lady Lions kept their poise in the second half and went 16-of-19 from the charity stripe to the Hawks 4-of-6.

News & Notes
--This is the first meeting for the two teams in the post season since the 2010-11 season when PC pushed the season into the national tournament. 

Up Next
--Piedmont is on the road next Friday heading to Maryville for the USA South Semifinals against number one seed of the east division Ferrum College at 5:00 pm.

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.