NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 97, Covenant 73
Records: Piedmont, 11-11 (2-7); Covenant, 8-15 (3-7)

DEMOREST, GA—The men's basketball squad leapt back into the win column on Wednesday night with a decisive conference victory against the Covenant Scots with a final score of 97-73.

In a game that started a crucial stretch for the Lions, Piedmont found the hot hand fast and rode their shooting to a big-time victory.

The first five minutes of the contest, it looked as though the game would be a shootout between the two squads, with shots falling for both Piedmont and Covenant. The Scots grabbed an eight-point lead and looked to continue their run; however, Piedmont's hot night would begin with a Dylan Patrick driving layup, and while the Scots fought back to a tie, the Lions were relentless and went on a 13-3 run to jump on top, and they wouldn't be caught for the rest of the game. 

Covenant's hot shooting would cease for the rest of the evening, but Piedmont did not. The Lions would close out the first half with a 56-36 score, and that 20-point deficit would be the difference for the remainder of the game. 

Dylan Patrick had an electric night for the Lions and led several runs that pushed Piedmont well ahead. Patrick would end the night with 15 points while shooting 7-8 from the field. Fisher Darden once again showed out for the Lions, also dropping 15 on the evening, but the leading scorer of the evening was the breakout junior Israel Hall, who had 21 points on the night, with the majority coming in the paint.

Piedmont's lead would shrink down the stretch as the Scots put some points up as the clock ran down, but the lead would remain controlling as the Lions locked up a 97-73 victory in front of a raucous home crowd.

The win marks a big one for the Lions, who look to take advantage of a long home stretch to finish out the regular season. 

The Lions will next be in action on Saturday, Feb. 14th at 4:00 p.m. against the Belhaven Blazers in Cave Arena.

TURNING POINT:
- An 18 point run in the second half that cemented the Lions victory.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Israel Hall led all scorers with 21 points on the evening, marking back-to-back 21-point games for the junior. 
- Dylan Patrick led several runs for the Lions and finished with 15 points on the evening.
- Fisher Darden also found 15 points on the night while dropping four three-pointers. 

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.