Piedmont’s Alex Odam and Chance Murphy both put up a double-double and two other players scored in double-digits as the sixth-ranked Bulldogs rallied in the second half for a 65-59 victory over Geraldine in Monday’s Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.

The Bulldogs led for only 1:19 in the first half, trailing as many as 14 points, but trimmed the double-digit deficit in the third period before surging ahead in the final frame to deny unranked Geraldine’s upset bid.

“We did a good job battling in the second half,” Piedmont coach Jonathan Odam said. “The first half, we came out a little slow and they (Geraldine) did a good job. We just weren’t hitting shots early. Real proud of the effort in the second half.”

Geraldine opened the game with an 11-3 run, powered by Jaxon Colvin’s four points, but Piedmont responded to take its only lead in the opening period on an 11-1 run that saw sophomore Ishmael Bethel drop eight points during the three-minute stretch.

Geraldine retook the lead on a Cooper Johnson 3-pointer with five seconds left in the opening frame and took control in the second period on a 15-2 run, building a 30-16 lead with 2:09 remaining in the first half. Piedmont cut the advantage down to single digits on a 7-2 run but Redick Smith hit a pair of free throws to put the Bulldogs up 34-23 at the halftime break.

“We felt like we were going to make enough shots to win the game,” Odam said. “We just had to get stops. We did a better job. Chance (Murphy) did a great job rebounding in the second half, and we all did a better job in the second half.”

Piedmont reasserted itself to open the second half, erasing Geraldine’s double-digit lead with a 10-6 run, once more powered by Bethel, who scored seven points during the run, but allowed Geraldine to get back ahead by 11 points with a quick 4-0 spurt. Piedmont’s Alex Odam and Chance Murphy combined for 10 points on a 12-5 closing run in the third period, cutting the Geraldine lead to 49-45 entering the final frame.

Geraldine twice extended its lead to six points in the opening two minutes of the fourth period, but a 9-3 run by Piedmont — powered by Rollie Pinto’s five points — tied the game at 56-all with exactly four minutes left in the game.

Geraldine was able to retake the lead on a Colvin layup but would score no more. Pinto grabbed a steal on an in-bounds play within the final minute and secured the victory with an ensuing free layup off the turnover.

“I was happy because it was a 1-point game,” Pinto said. “I felt so good to see the ball go through the net. As soon as he fell, I knew I had to get that.”

Did you know? Piedmont advances to its ninth regional final in program history and the first since back-to-back trips from 2018-2019.

By the numbers: Piedmont shot 35 percent overall from the field, was 18-for-23 at the charity stripe and forced 12 turnovers, resulting in 18 points. Geraldine was held to 34.4 percent overall and only nine free-throw attempts (7-of-9) and earned a plus-3 edge on the glass.

Stat sheet: Piedmont – Odam finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, along with four assists and three steals, and Murphy had 10 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Bethel had a game-high 19 points, adding seven boards, and Pinto had 14 points, three rebounds and three steals. Coleman Wilson contributed five points and three rebounds. Geraldine – Colvin produced a double-double, tying for a team-high 17 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds, and Johnson finished with 17 points. Smith added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Lucas Bryant contributed seven points and nine rebounds.

Coachspeak: “That’s one the things we talked about at halftime. Basketball is a game of runs. They went on a run at the end of the (first) half, and we talked about answering it and we did a good job of it. They never get rattled. If we can keep it close, we’ll be fine.” — Piedmont’s Jonathan Odam

“Played hard and was right there with them. We had a good game plan and executed it. On the defensive end, offensive rebounding hurt us in the second half.” — Geraldine’s Jeremy Smith

They said it: “Being young, I fit in well with these guys. They push me to be the best that I can be. I got good teammates around me to help me in that situation.” — Pinto

“We’ve been behind several times this year. I don’t know the record is like but just about every time we’ve got behind, we’ve came back and won. Maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe it sets a fire in us and gets our intensity up.” — (Alex) Odam

What’s next? Piedmont advances to the Northeast Regional final, where they’ll face Plainview, Thursday, Feb. 23, at Jacksonville State’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.