RALEIGH, N.C. - William Peace men's basketball dropped its first game back from a long holiday break on Tuesday afternoon, falling 72-57 to Piedmont University inside the Hermann Athletic Center. The loss moves the Pacers to 6-4 overall while conference play has yet to begin.

Piedmont set the tone early, building a 39-29 lead at halftime behind efficient shooting and strong play in the paint. The Pacers worked to keep pace in the opening half but struggled to find consistency offensively as the Lions controlled the tempo.

Peace continued to battle in the second half, but Piedmont was able to maintain its advantage and pull away down the stretch. Parker Hodgson led the Pacers with 12 points, while Chuks Ezeonu added 10 points and eight rebounds on a perfect shooting performance. Tyler Whitehurst finished with eight points, and Elijah Green chipped in six.

William Peace will look to bounce back on Friday, January 2, when it hosts Randolph College at 3 p.m. in its final non conference game of the season. The Pacers will then turn their attention to conference play, opening USA South action the following Friday at home against Mary Baldwin.