NEED TO KNOW:
Score: No. 11 Tufts 79, Piedmont 78
Records: Tufts, 6-1; Piedmont, 4-3

DEMOREST, Ga. - The Piedmont women's basketball team took No. 11 Tufts to the brink but came up just short in a 79-78 loss on Sunday afternoon at Cave Arena.

The back-and-forth instant classic was tied at 78-78 with just over 30 seconds to go and the Jumbos in possession. With the time ticking down, Tufts' Samantha Sousa was able to draw a foul with just over two seconds remaining and after missing the first, connected on the second free throw to put the Jumbos ahead 79-78. The Lady Lions still had one final chance, but NAKIYAH WASHINGTON's jumper fell off the side of the rim, allowing Tufts to escape with the victory.

Washington reached the 20-point mark for the third consecutive game, pouring in a team-high 25 points to go with nine rebounds. The senior forward was dominant driving to the basket all game, earning 18 free throw attempts and making 13 of them. She was joined in double figures by LU WOOLFOLK, who totaled a career-high 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting. ASHLEY SCOTT delivered 12 points on 5-of-5 from the free throw line while freshman RILEY BRYAN came off the bench to score 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

The pace was fast and furious in the early going, with both teams scoring at a high rate on the offensive end. Piedmont was able to gain separation at the end of the first quarter, carrying a 24-17 edge to the second quarter. 

The Lions used a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter to take a 41-28 lead on a jumper by Washington. However, the Jumbos immediately responded, with a 12-0 run of their own and eventually overtook the Lions, taking a 49-46 advantage to the locker room. 

Tufts continued its momentum to open the second half, as a 16-6 run gave it a game-high 12-point lead at 65-53 midway through the third quarter. While it looked like the Jumbos had grabbed control of the contest, the Lady Lions battled back, with a 6-0 run to start the final quarter to cut their deficit to 70-69.

As crunch time approached, the defense grew more intense as scoring became scarce. Scott drew a foul shooting a three-pointer at the 5:21 mark and converted all three free throws to knot the score at 74-74. On the next possession, Piedmont retook the lead for the first time since late in the first half on a NAE-NAE EADES free throw.

The rest of the way, neither side led by more than a point, as Washington converted 1-of-2 from the foul line with 32 seconds left to tie the score at 78-all, setting up the final go-ahead possession for the Jumbos.

Tufts' Maggie Rusell tallied 23 points while Sarah Crossett scored 22.

Up next, the Lady Lions will open up Collegiate Conference of the South play next Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. against Belhaven.

TURNING POINT:
- The Jumbos were able to draw a foul in the fnal seconds and converted 1-of-2 at the line, which marked the difference in the closely contested game.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Washington delivered her third consecutive home game with over 20 points, scoring 25 and making 13-of-18 from the foul line.
- Bryan knocked down 5-of-7 from the floor for 10 points off the bench.
- Scott converted all five of her free throws to score 12 points.
- Woolfolk broke her career high by a point, scoring 14 in the loss.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Exquisite free throw shooting was on display from both sides. Piedmont made 29-of-37 (78%) while Tufts converted on 17-of-22 (77%)

NEWS AND NOTES:
- The Lady Lions nearly pulled an upset of a top-15 opponent for the second straight season. On Dec. 30, 2021 the team defeated No. 9 DePauw, 75-74, in overtime.

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