Sun Valley has finished its regular season with a dominant performance against the Piedmont Panthers. Their 71-56 win came on Friday by way of aggressive defense and immense pressure, as Sun Valley’s second-half full-court press proved to be too much for the Panthers to handle. The Spartans forced turnover after turnover, late in the game, increasing the Panther deficit with each possession.

The Spartans held a 28-27 lead after a tightly contested first half, despite multiple three-point buckets from Piedmont. The Panthers’ three-point shooting kept the game close until the third quarter press began to change the outlook of the game. As the game progressed, Spartan aggression put the Panthers on their heels, and their game plan began to fall apart.

Senior point guard Justin Morton took the scoring lead in Friday’s game, scoring 10 in the third quarter alone. Morton, who leads the team with 14.7 points per game, scored 20 on the night, including three successful trips to the free-throw line. Senior guard Tayshaun Walker followed with 12 points on the night, and a momentum grabbing three-point shot in the third. The Spartans earned 43 points in the second half, outscoring the Panthers by 14.

The Spartans end the year with a regular season conference record of 9-5, placing the team securely in third place, behind Weddington and Charlotte Catholic, as the conference tournament begins this week. Sun Valley’s overall regular season record is 16-9.