DEMOREST, Ga.  Methodist men's basketball were on the road for their third straight game on Sunday this time versus Piedmont University. In a non-conference contest, the Lions fended off a near second half comeback by the Monarchs to hang on to an 81-73 win at Cave Arena.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Piedmont def. Methodist, 81-73
Records: Methodist 0-6, Piedmont 4-3
Location: Cave Arena; Demorest, Georgia

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Piedmont opened up the game by scoring the first 12 points before Montell Moore made the bucket for Methodist. A jumper by Ryan Jolly made it 21-7 in favor of the Lions then Derrion Hicklen was a one man show as he tallied the next seven points to help get the Monarchs offense going.
• Jolly and Will Richter nailed back-to-back threes for Piedmont, 33-20, to put the difference back up to double digits. Clayton Coe would knock down his own three ball followed by T.J. East also scoring three points to get it down to an 11-point deficit, 41-30, for Methodist. The teams went into the break after each side converted on a pair of free throws but an additional jumper by Richter had the Lions up 45-32.
• The Monarchs scored a quick four points to start the second but then the teams turned the game into a boxing match, as they went shot for shot for majority of the half. With 5:31 left on clock, East drained a three-pointer to cap off a 6-0 run for Methodist to get the team within four points, 67-63. After a layup by Aaron Palmer of Piedmont, another three by Jared Merchant made it a one possession game.
• Palmer registered four consecutive points for the Lions to make it 73-66 with 2:36 left in the contest. Moore of the Monarchs cut it down to 75-73, with a minute left, after scoring five straight points. That was best Methodist got to the lead as the Monarchs were forced to foul and send Piedmont to the charity stripe, where the Lions iced the game.

MORE TO IT

• Both teams made exactly 25 field goals, including the Lions just edging out the Monarchs from three-point territory (eight to seven). Piedmont though was able to head to the line 10 more times than Methodist and respectively made seven more shots, 23-16.
• East's 16 points led all Monarchs scorers and he tied for second on the team with six rebounds. The freshman duo of Hicklen and Angel Dean also played well against Piedmont. Hicklen had 14 pts, six rebs and a team-high three steals while Dean just missed a double-double (8 pts & 13 rebs).

UP NEXT
Methodist wraps up their four-game road stand on Wednesday as the Monarchs take on the University of Mary Washington. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.