DEMOREST, Ga. — After a heartbreaking 14-13 overtime loss to Piedmont College a season ago, the Averett University women's lacrosse team collected an exciting 13-12 road victory over the Lions on Saturday.
 
With 1:24 left in the game, Piedmont (6-6, 5-2 USA South) scored to cut the Averett (10-3, 6-1 USA South) lead to 13-12. Over the course of the final 1:24, Piedmont was throwing everything at the Cougars in hopes of tying the game and sending the match to overtime for the second season in a row. It nearly paid off for Piedmont as the Lions earned a free position shot with two seconds left on the clock. However, sophomore Breanne Sawall made one of her eight saves on the ensuing attempt to keep the Cougars ahead 13-12 as time expired.
 
At the halftime break, the score was all knotted at five with each team getting the best out of each other. The first three minutes of the second half, though, was all Averett as the Cougars scored three unanswered goals in that time frame to take the 8-5 lead which tied for their largest lead of the game.
 
This stretch turned out to be crucial for the Cougars as Averett would not relinquish this advantage the rest of the way even though Piedmont cut the Averett lead to one on five different occasions. The Cougars always had an answer for each Piedmont score.
 
The first half was a tightly contested affair and it showed as the score was tied at five heading into halftime. Both sides had collected 12 ground balls up until that point with the Lions owning the slight 14-13 edge in shots and Averett leading in draw controls, 9-2.
 
Averett finished the game with the 22-21 edge in ground balls and the 16-11 lead in draw controls. The Cougars also registered 16 caused turnovers and 18 shots on goal.
 
Sophomore Elizabeth Peasley paced the navy and gold with six goals while freshman Courtney DeLone earned the hat-trick. Junior Abby Taylor and senior Alixis Roccia each recorded a brace.
 
Averett looks to keep this momentum moving forward for when they return home for a match against Pfeiffer University on Tuesday. Game time is set for 3 p.m.