DEMOREST, Ga. – Maryville wrapped up its 2023-24 regular season Thursday night, falling to Piedmont 58-51 in the Johnny Mize Athletic Center.
The Scots finished the regular season with an overall record of 12-12, going 10-6 in the Collegiate Conference of the South.
Courtney Carruthers led the Scots offensively in the contest, scoring a team-high 27 points. The senior has now recorded a season-high for the second game in a row, surpassing her season-best of 26 against Covenant on Tuesday.
Carruthers' 27 points account for nearly half of its team's scoring in the contest. The next-highest scorers for Maryville were the trio of Ella Haney, Emma Huskey, and Emily Allen, who each scored five points.
The Lions outscored MC 38-27 in the first half, bolstered by a 21-point first quarter, where they shot 50 percent (8-of-16) from the field, including 4-of-5 (80%) from beyond the 3-point line.
The Scots fought back in the third quarter, outscoring Piedmont 19-12 and heading into the fourth quarter trailing by just four points at 50-46.
Unfortunately, Maryville was unable to keep its momentum in the final 10 minutes of play but was able to keep the game close due to Piedmont's inability to gain traction either. Neither team scored in the first six minutes of the quarter, when the drought was broken by Piedmont's Alexandria Willis with 3:55 remaining.
The Lions hit another shot to put them ahead by eight with 3:36 remaining. Maryville finally scored with 3:19 showing on the clock, as Huskey muscled in a layup to cut the lead to six.
A pair of free throws from Carruthers at 1:38 put the Scots within striking distance, 54-51, but they were unable to convert on offense as time ran out. Piedmont was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds, bringing the final score to 58-51.
Despite the loss, Maryville has locked in at least a top-four finish in the CCS standings, meaning the Scots will host a game in Round 1 of the conference tournament, set to begin Tuesday. If the Scots win that one, they will then head on the road for the semifinal round, hosted by Berea.
