MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Maryville men's basketball team turned in a crushing performance, pushing past Piedmont 95–63 at the Cooper Athletic Center to stay undefeated in CCS play.
The win moves the Scots to 13–4 overall and 4–0 in conference action, while Piedmont falls to 8–8 (0–3 CCS). Maryville set the tone early, building a 46–30 halftime lead before pulling away in the second half.
"We did exactly what we knew we were capable of doing," head coach Raul Placeres said. "We brought our good game — sharing the basketball, winning the rebounding battle, and having multiple guys in double figures — that's what today looked like."
After an early back-and-forth stretch, Maryville began to separate midway through the first half. Jackson Garner knocked down three triples in a four-minute span, while Chase Morgan controlled the paint on both ends. A late 7–0 run, capped by a fast-break layup at the buzzer, pushed the Scots' lead to 16 heading into the break.
Maryville shot efficiently across the board, finishing the night at 52.2 percent from the field, 41.7 percent beyond the arc, and 76.9 percent at the free-throw line. The Scots recorded 25 assists on 35 made field goals, consistently breaking down Piedmont's defense.
"That's a great recipe for success," Placeres said. "We shot it extremely well — 52, 42, 77 — pretty darn good for an afternoon."
Garner led all scorers with 24 points, knocking down eight three-pointers and providing an early spark from the perimeter. He finished just two shy of the school record for made threes in a game.
"Jack was really good in the first half," Placeres said. "I think he was two off the school record. He shot it extremely well, and that was big for us."
Maryville came out of halftime with momentum and never let Piedmont back into the game. The Scots opened the second half with a quick 12-3 run, forcing a timeout as the lead ballooned past 20. From there, Maryville continued to push the pace, stretching the margin beyond 30 behind strong bench minutes and scoring.
Chase Morgan added another strong performance inside, recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Maryville dominated the glass throughout the night, out-rebounding Piedmont 47–26.
"Rebounds equal rings, man," Placeres said. "We won the rebound battle by 21 today, and we've just got to keep doing that."
The Scots continued to get production throughout the lineup. Javi Rosell and R.J. Simmons each scored 10 points, Jamal Ware chipped in eight points and seven rebounds, and Maryville's bench totaled a season-high 30 points.
"It was a total team effort," Placeres said. "Glad everybody got in. I was super proud of the guys today."
Defensively, Maryville held Piedmont to 39 percent shooting from the floor and 30 percent from three-point range. The Scots mixed man-to-man and zone looks, finishing with 12 steals and four blocks while limiting second-chance opportunities for a third straight game.
"I thought our mix of man and zone caught them a little bit off guard," Placeres said. "Defensively, owning the boards was huge."
With the win secured, the focus quickly shifts to the next challenge.
"We've got to turn the page," Placeres said. "We're more than likely going to get a team in here tomorrow that's undefeated in the league, playing for first place. It's going to be a big-time matchup."
The Scots are back in action tomorrow at 4:00 PM, taking on the Belhaven Blazers in the Cooper Athletic Center.
