Hawks Can't Overcome Piedmont's Strong Second Half

DEMOREST, Ga.- Coming off a 30 point victory at Agnes Scott, Huntingdon women's basketball continued their Georgia-based road trip with a CCS matchup at Piedmont University. Neither team could gain an advantage through the first two quarters, with a late free throw giving Piedmont a 30-29 advantage at the halftime break. A third quarter surge in favor of the Lions proved to be too much for Huntingdon to overcome, handing the 5-7 Hawks their second CCS loss of the season, 78-66.

First Quarter

• Led by the senior duo of Kinstin Davis and Briana McGruder, the Hawks jumped out to an 8-2 lead by the 6:20 mark in the quarter
• Piedmont responded with an 8-0 run of their own to take a 10-8 lead just three minutes later, but Charity Shaw's layup at the 3:31 mark stopped the bleeding and evened things at 10
• Trading baskets as the quarter came to a close, the Lions followed a Kinstin Davis triple with a pair of free throws to take a 17-14 lead into the second quarter

Second Quarter

• Huntingdon's defense controlled the opening stages of the second quarter, holding the Lions scoreless through the first three minutes of the period. Six consecutive points from Lauryn Lyn and Abby Byrd gave the Hawks a 20-17 lead by the 7 minute mark
• Piedmont answered with a 10-0 run to lead 27-21 by the 4:26 mark
• Boosted by efficient free throw shooting, the Hawks managed to claw their way back within striking range, with Cassidy Campbell sinking a pair from the charity stripe to tie the score at 29 by the 1:10 mark. A Piedmont free throw after time expired gave the Lions the 30-29 lead at the break

Third Quarter

• Trading layups as the second half got underway, Briana McGruder's finish at the 5:50 mark put trimmed Piedmont's lead to 38-35 by the 5:50 mark
• Trailing 46-41 entering the final three minutes of the quarter, the Hawks were outscored 12-0 to face a 58-41 deficit entering the fourth period

Fourth Quarter

• Looking to answer, the Hawks pieced together a 7-0 run of their own to open the final quarter. Led by Makayla Ford, the Hawks cut the deficit to 58-48 with 6:56 remaining
• Cassidy Campbell brought the deficit to single digits, 63-54 with a tip-in at the 4:47 mark
• Trailing 76-61 inside of the final minute, the Hawks scored five points late, but would run out of time, falling 78-66 to the 7-5 Lions

Hawk Top Performers

• #4 Kinstin Davis- 18 points, 8 rebounds
• #35 Briana McGruder- 16 points, 9 rebounds
• #20 Cassidy Campbell- 9 points, 3 rebounds

The Hawks look to bounce back on Tuesday, January 14th at Covenant. Tip-off is set for 4:00 PM CT.