DEMOREST – Piedmont women’s basketball held off Berry 59-57 Sunday afternoon inside Cave Arena as Head Coach Jamie Purdy won her 400th career game.
In a defensive struggle, the Lions made a stand on the final possession, holding off the Vikings to win their second in a row at the CCS / SAA Classic.
Junior Alexandria Willis delivered a double double to lead the Lions, scoring a team-high 14 points and grabbing a team-best 13 rebounds. Freshman Kylie Watkins was the only other Lion in double figures, scoring 10 points and collecting five rebounds.
Hayley Borino led a solid effort from the bench, with eight points as the Lions totaled 21
bench points for the afternoon.
For the second straight day, Piedmont won a game in which it started slow on the offensive end. The Vikings played stifling defense in the early going, with Piedmont’s first field goal not coming until less than a minute remained in the opening quarter. However, the Lions earned 10 free throw attempts and converted five to stay within three heading to the second.
The lead was stretched to nine points at the half as the Lions shut down Berry’s offense in the second quarter.
The Vikings were undeterred, however, hanging around in the third quarter and eventually retaking the lead early in the fourth.
Neither side was able to separate in a back-and-forth defensive battle over the final 10 minutes. With under 20 seconds to play and the score knotted at 57-all, Kennedi Henson was fouled and converted a pair of clutch free throws to give the Lions the 59-57 lead.
That set the stage for a defensive stand as the Vikings missed a pair of jumpers that would have tied the game and Gracie Deetz came away with a big defensive rebound.
TURNING POINT:
– Henson’s two free throws and a final defensive stand helped the Lions win the game by two points.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Willis delivered a 14-point, 13-rebound double double to lead the Lions.
PURDY MAKES HISTORY:
– The win marked the 400th of Jamie Purdy‘s head coaching career.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– The Lions dominated the glass, with a 50-29 rebounding advantage.
