NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 81, LaGrange 80
Records: Piedmont, 11-13 (3-8 CCS); LaGrange, 6-18 (1-10 CCS)

LaGRANGE, Ga. - Piedmont men's basketball completed an 81-80 comeback victory at LaGrange on Saturday evening as freshman Jackson Houston played hero with a pair of three-pointers in the final minutes.

After trailing for most of the contest, the Lions were able to claw back into the game and overtake the Panthers with efficient offense and critical defensive stops in crunch time.

Fisher Darden led the Lions with 17 points and three made three-pointers while Houston delivered a season-best 16 points after earning his first career start. He also was one of four Lions to grab seven rebounds as Piedmont held its own on the glass.

Dylan Patrick played an efficient game at point guard, filling the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 5-of-9 from the field.

Although Piedmont led 20-10 after the first six minutes of action, LaGrange responded with a big run late in the first half to take a 41-36 lead into the locker room.

The Panthers kept the momentum on their side as the second half began, pushing their lead to 57-43 with 16:34 to play.

The Lions were undeterred, however, hanging around within striking distance and refusing to let the game slip away.

Still, Piedmont trailed 79-72 after a LaGrange layup with 2:44 remaining. However, from that point forward, the Lions outscored the Panthers 9-1, holding them without a field goal down the stretch.

After Patrick knifed into the lane and completed an and-one three-point play to make it 79-75, LaGrange added a point on a trip to the free throw line. On its next trip, Piedmont found Houston who swished home a three-pointer to make it 80-78 Panthers. Then, after another gritty defensive stop for the Lions, they found Houston again, this time on the opposite side, for the go-ahead three-pointer.

One more defensive stand for Piedmont gave them the ball at the free throw line with just a few seconds remaining. And although the free throw did not find the range, LaGrange ran out of time and the Lions sealed the win.

Up next, Piedmont will conclude its regular season with a road trip to Huntingdon next Friday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
- Freshman Jackson Houston swished home three-pointers on back-to-back possession to turn a five point Piedmont deficit into a one-point lead that held the rest of the way.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Darden paced the team in scoring with 17 points.
- Houston tallied a season-high 16 points, making 4-of-8 three-pointers including the two big ones in the final minutes.
- Patrick added 13 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds and five assists.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- Piedmont has now won four consecutive games against LaGrange for the first time in the NCAA era.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on X: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook.