MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Maryville College women's basketball put together its most complete performance of the season Friday night, cruising past Piedmont, 89–63, at the Cooper Athletic Center to even its Collegiate Conference of the South record at 3–3.
The Scots led for more than 38 minutes and used efficient shooting, defensive intensity, and contagious energy to pull away early and never look back. Maryville opened the contest on a 15–6 run, built a 20–12 advantage after one quarter, and carried a 41–32 lead into halftime before delivering the knockout blow in the third.
Maryville outscored Piedmont 25–11 in the third quarter, shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and draining five three-pointers to extend the margin to 66–43. The Scots would lead by as many as 28 points in the fourth en route to the 26-point victory.
Head coach Darrin Travillian credited the win to both execution and mindset following a frustrating loss earlier in the week.
"We spent a lot of the last two days talking about recentering ourselves," Travillian said. "You can sulk about a tough loss and let it turn into three, or you can ask, 'Where do we grow?' The kids responded. We executed, we took good shots, and I thought we were pretty solid defensively and battled on the boards."
Maryville's shooting was exceptional throughout the night, finishing at 53.3 percent from the field and a season-best 59.1 percent from three-point range, connecting on 13 triples.
Junior guard Emily Wilson led the charge with a game-high 23 points, knocking down five three-pointers and setting the emotional tone early. Travillian pointed to Wilson's energy as a defining moment of the game.
"She hit a three early, looked at the bench, and just screamed. I turned and said, 'That's it—that's what we're looking for,'" Travillian said. "That fire, that intensity, it was infectious. It carried through four quarters."
Wilson credited her teammates for creating opportunities and emphasized the team's defensive focus.
"My teammates were just finding me and getting me good looks," Wilson said. "All credit to them. We also pride ourselves on defense. We've been talking a lot about closing out games, and that starts on the defensive end."
Ella Haney followed with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Ella Tharpe added 13 points and four assists. Leighan Jackson sparked the bench with 12 points and five rebounds, and Maryville finished with four players in double figures.
The Scots also forced 17 Piedmont turnovers, turning them into 26 points, and held a 36–28 advantage on the glass.
"They spend so much time in the gym," Travillian said. "You just want to see it be fruitful. Today was one of those days where the rim looked bigger, and everybody fed off each other."
Maryville improves to 6–7 overall and 3–3 in CCS play with the victory.
By the Numbers
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13 – Three-pointers made by Maryville (season high)
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59.1% – Team shooting from beyond the arc
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53.3% – Overall field-goal percentage
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26 – Points scored off Piedmont turnovers
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25 – Points scored in the third quarter
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38:25 – Time Maryville held the lead
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4 – Scots scoring in double figures
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23 – Points from Emily Wilson (game high)
