The Dons had a strong second half performance during Saturday’s home non-conference game against Piedmont, but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Highlanders, who took a 16-point lead by halftime and ended beating the Dons 81-61. 

After a slow start by both teams, Jackson Aris-Dumas opened with a 3-pointer to start the scoring. A nice defensive move by Jake Davis led to Graham Smith sinking a deep 2.  But Piedmont took the lead 14-9. 

Joey Carrillo opened the second quarter with a basket, closing the gap to 11-14. But that would be the smallest Highlander lead for the remainder of the night, who were up 40-24 at the half. 

The third quarter, the Dons executed some great assists (four by Scott Ruegg, and one each by Joey, Derek Kotarba, and Theo Stoll). The teamwork paid off, and the Dons scored 17 points to Piedmont’s 18 points. 

The fourth quarter, the Dons went on a 7-0 run and scored a total of 20 points. But Piedmont met the Dons offensively, scoring 23 points. Ultimately, the Dons’ strong second half play wasn’t enough to make up for the first half deficit. 

The Dons thank the enthusiastic ball squad, who kept the court safe.