DEMOREST, Ga. -- Dylan Delaney scored 19 points to lead four Piedmont players in double figures as the host Lions defeated Covenant 83-74 in Great South action on Wednesday night in Demorest. The loss for Covenant drops the Scots to 7-17 overall and 2-6 in conference play. Piedmont, meanwhile, improves to 6-18 and 2-5.

The win for Piedmont avenges an earlier 91-78 loss to Covenant back in January. Covenant forward Bryant Engbers set a career-high with 26 points in that game, but has since been sidelined by illness. 

Piedmont sprinted out to a quick 6-0 lead on a layup from Jessie Jenkins at the 18:02 mark of the first half. Covenant came back to tie the game at 10-10 when Zarome Lakey connected on a short jumper. Minutes later, Piedmont began a 22-6 scoring run that gave them a 36-20 lead with five minutes left in the half. The Scots would into the locker room at halftime down 45-31.

In the second half, Callum Sears buried a 3-pointer and TJ Cox followed that with a jumper of his own to bring the Scots to within 45-36 less than a minute into the half. A Joey Danek layup with 11:36 remaining made the Covenant deficit 57-49, the closest the Scots had been since midway through the first half. The two teams then traded baskets over the next six minutes. Covenant made a push as they cut the Lions lead to 66-60 on a Colton McGriff jumper with just over four minutes left. But the Scots were unable to get any closer as Piedmont made clutch free throws down the stretch.

Sears led the scoring for Covenant with 17 points while dishing out two assists and collecting three steals. Danek added 14 points and five rebounds and McGriff chipped in with 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Rosbie Mutcherson scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, while Damien Chaney handed out a team-high four assists. The Scots shot 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the floor and outrebounded Piedmont 32-31.

Besides Delaney's game-high 19 points, Piedmont put three other players in double digits. Jenkins and Kyle Lundberg each had 14 points, with Lundberg leading the team in assists with five. Josh Haymore added 13 points, including four 3-pointers. Piedmont made 11 3-pointers on the night and shot 49.1 percent for the game.

Covenant will return to action for its final regular season game on Feb. 21 at Berry College. Tip-off in Rome, Ga., is set for 8 p.m.