Men's Basketball Courtesy of Huntingdon Athletics

Hawks Survive Scare Against Piedmont To Advance To CCS Semi-Finals

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- Hosting their first conference tournament game since the 2019-2020 season, the #3 seeded Huntingdon Hawks welcomed the #6 seeded Piedmont Lions to Roland Arena for the second time in four days.

In a back-and-forth affair that saw each team hold a double-digit advantage at different points, the Hawks, led by sophomore standout BJ Brown, managed to hold off the Lions' upset attempt, walking away victorius 71-67.

First Half

  • The opening stages of the game were all Huntingdon, with 4 different Hawks contributing an early 11-4 lead by the 16 minute mark
  • Randall Davis' layup at the 14:11 mark sparked a 12-2 Huntingdon run over the following 3 minutes, capped off by an off-the-backboard alley oop connection between BJ Brown and Ray'Quan Taylor
  • The Lions responded with an 11-4 run of their own over the next four minutes to cut Huntingdon's advantage to 27-22 by the 6:35 mark
  • Piedmont's triple at the 3:51 mark evened things at 29 before the Lions captured a 34-28 lead entering the final three minutes
  • Baskets from Marcus Townsend, Myles Murphy, and BJ Brown put the Hawks back in front 36-34 with a minute remaining until halftime. Piedmont's triple in the final two seconds brought Huntingdon's halftime lead to 39-38

Second Half

  • Piedmont opened the second half on an offensive tear, utilizing an 11-2 run to claim a 49-41 lead by the 15:41 mark
  • The Hawks responded with a plethora of baskets of their own, but the Lions kept the hot hand, extending their lead to as much as 61-48 with 10 minutes remaining
  • A pair of free throws from Nate Johns at the 9 minute mark sparked a massive 12-2 run for Huntingdon extending across the following 4 minutes. A pair of free throws from BJ Browncapped things off and put the Hawks down 63-60 with 5:22 remaining in regulation
  • A pair of Lion free throws pushed Piedmont's lead to two possessions, 65-60, with 4:27 remaining, but Brown and the Hawks made quick work of their slight advantage, taking a 66-65 lead by the 2:13 mark
  • Piedmont sank two more free throws with 1:54 to go to reclaim a 67-66 lead, but those would be their last points of the night. On the following possession, Brown hit a stepback triple in the left corner to put the Hawks ahead 69-66, and two free throws from Tate Goolesby inside the final 10 seconds put the game on ice, advancing Huntingdon to the CCS Semi-Finals with a 71-67 victory

Hawk Top Performers

  • #4 BJ Brown- 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
  • #3 Nate Johns- 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block
  • #20 Tate Goolesby- 3 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and the game-sealing free throws

The Hawks resume action in the CCS tournament on February 28th at Maryville College, taking on the #2 seeded Belhave Blazers. The winner of that matchup will advance to the championship round.