NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 18, Southern Va. 12
Records: Piedmont, 8-3 (5-0 USA South); Southern Virginia, 5-7 (2-2 USA South)

BUENA VISTA, Va. - Piedmont men's lacrosse overcame a first half deficit to rally past Southern Virginia 18-12 on Saturday afternoon in Buena Vista, Virginia.

The Lions are now a perfect 5-0 in the USA South awaiting the showdown with Pfeiffer next weekend at home.

The Knights jumped out to a quick start, leading 5-2 late in the first quarter. However, the Lions turned a close contest into a comfortable win late, outscoring SVU 6-2 over the final quarter to run away with the win.

Sophomore Miller Buice delivered a season-high three goals, his first career hat trick, while Ian Parr also had three goals, but added three assists as well to lead the team with six points. Will Isley paced the team with three assists.

On the defensive side, goalie Mike Eiesle made nine saves as the Lions tightened their defense by allowing just four goals in the second half.

Piedmont's defense was under attack in the early going as the Knights used a 5-1 early run to build a 5-2 lead in the first quarter.

The Lions were undeterred, however, scoring three straight goals to tie the score at 5-5 by the end of the opening quarter.

The back-and-forth continued, as Southern Virginia scored two of the next three goals to go ahead 8-6. But once again, the Lions quickly responded, with another 3-0 run to grab the lead at 9-8 going into halftime.

The two teams traded goals to begin the third quarter before the Piedmont onslaught begin. The Lions kicked off the decisive 6-0 run with Buice's second goal of the game. Piedmont was able to take advantage, with two man-up goals in the run, scored by Jacob Hasbrouck and Joseph Whitmore.

Up next, the Lions will have a week off before hosting the also undefeated Pfeiffer Falcons on Senior Day next Saturday, April 5.

TURNING POINT:
- Piedmont used a 6-0 run that overlapped the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter to take control of the contest.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Buice delivered his first career hat trick and has now scored multiple goals in three straight games.
- Parr paced the Lions with six points (3 g, 3 ast).

NEWS AND NOTES:
- After losing the first three all-time meetings to the Knights, the Lions have now won four in a row in the series.

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.