Panthers' season ends with loss to Piedmont in GSAC Tournament
Feb. 24, 2009

DEMOREST, Ga. – Piedmont College ended LaGrange College's season with an 86-74 win in the first round of the GSAC Championship Tournament at the Johnny Mize Center. The Panthers finished the season 14-10, with three of the losses at the hands of the Lady Lions (10-15), who are the two-time defending tournament champions.

Valeree Williams led the Panthers with a game-high 18 points. She was one of four Panthers in double figures. Elizabeth Williams had 13 points, while Cameren Farr and Ashley Hoglund had 10 points each.

The Panthers, seeded fifth in the tournament, held a 70-65 lead with 5:08 left after a 3-pointer by Hoglund and a jumper from Valeree Williams. The basket by Williams would be the last for the Panthers over a four-minute span.

The fourth-seeded Lady Lions took advantage of the Panthers' cold spell. They scored 13 unanswered points before Williams scored again with 53 seconds left. Piedmont iced the game at the free throw line, hitting eight straight in the closing seconds. Elizabeth Williams closed out the Panthers' season with a basket before the buzzer for the 86-74 final.

In the first half, the Panthers battled back from as far down as nine points to take a 40-39 lead. Piedmont, after falling behind in the early going, took the lead and held it until the closing seconds of the half.

Despite shooting only 39.1 from the field in the half, the Panthers made up for it with a 29-18 edge on the boards. They held a 14-5 advantage on the offensive glass. Jessica Boler led a final minute surge by the Panthers.

Boler scored all of her six points in the half in the final minute. She scored on a put back to put the Panthers up 38-37. After Piedmont retook the lead, Farr scored off an assist from Elizabeth Williams with just two seconds left in the half for a 40-39 lead.

The Panthers shot 39.2 percent from the field for the game. They held a 47-38 advantage on the boards. Piedmont made 22-of-26 free throws, including 18-of-19 in the second half. The Panthers took only two free throws in the second half, hitting 9-of-12 in the game.