McGruder's Clutch Free Throw Defeats Piedmont

MONTGOMERY,Ala.- In a highly contested battle that came down to the final seconds, Huntingdon women's basketball (9-13 overall, 6-7 CCS) came away with a 57-56 victory over Piedmont (13-8 overall, 8-5 CCS).

How it happened

First quarter

• The Lions got on the board first with a layup, but Briana McGruder matched it on the following possession

• After trading baskets, a three pointer from Piedmont gave them a 7-6 lead at the 6:09 mark

• Two free throws from Kinstin Davis gave the Hawks a 10-9 lead with 3:56 remaining in the quarter

• The Lions went on a 7-0 scoring run to regain the lead, 16-10, with a minute remaining in the quarter

• Two more free throws from Davis to close the quarter put the Hawks behind 16-12 entering the second period

Second quarter

• Huntingdon opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run, holding a 19-16 advantage with 5:06 to go until halftime

• Piedmont knocked down a triple to end the run and even the score at 19

• A 7-0 Hawk scoring run led by Briana McGruder and Kinstin Davis gave Huntingdon a 26-19 lead at the 3:17 mark

• With 53 seconds remaining in the half, Deshauna Foote found room around the rim to give the Hawks a 30-21 lead, their biggest of the game

• Piedmont sank a jumper at the halftime buzzer to bring the score to 30-23 going into the second half

Third quarter

• Piedmont began the second half with a 6-0 run, cutting the Huntingdon lead to 30-29 at the 7:16 mark

• The Lions regained the lead at the 5:26 mark with layup, holding a 33-32 advantage

• Kennedy-Ryan Jackson drilled a shot from the charity stripe to even the score at 33 with 4:38 to go in the quarter

• Neither team could distance themselves from the other, going into the final period of play tied at 40

Fourth quarter

• Briana McGruder put in a layup for the first points of the quarter, but two free throws from the Lions on the opposite end evened the score at 42

• At the 8:40 mark, Kinstin Davis drilled a huge triple to give the Hawks a 45-42 advantage

• Davis scored 7 consecutive points for the Hawks, maintaining the three points lead at 49-46 until the 5:21 mark

• A Lion triple with 4:14 remaining evened the score at 50

• Makayla Ford scored 4 consecutive points to keep the Hawks ahead by two, 54-52, with 2:21 to go

• Piedmont took the lead at the 1:41 mark with a layup, 55-54

• In the final 35 seconds, Kinstin Davis finished a layup to give the Hawks a 56-55 lead, but Piedmont was able to make a free throw with 9 seconds left to tie the game

• Just when it seemed that overtime was likely, Briana McGruder rebounded a missed shot for the Hawks, getting fouled on her putback attempt. She made a free throw with 3 seconds left to give the Hawks a 57-56 win.

Key Notes

• There were 13 ties and 9 lead changes in this contest

• Huntingdon's bench brought life to the Hawks offense, outsourcing the Lions bench 39-9

• Both offenses found trouble scoring efficiently, with each team shooting 32% from the field

Hawk Top Performers

• #35 Briana McGruder- 14 points, 15 rebounds, game-winning free throw

• #4 Kinstin Davis- 24 points, 4 rebounds

• #12 Makayla Ford- 11 points, 2 rebounds

The Hawks aim to keep their winning streak alive tomorrow, February 10th, at home against Covenant. Tip off is set for 2:00 PM.