WINGATE — Second-seeded Porter Ridge (8-1) escaped an upset in the first round of the CMC-Union Holiday Classic by pulling out a 48-45 overtime thriller against Piedmont on Saturday evening.

Piedmont (4-6) made the first two field goals of the game, taking a 4-0 lead, but Porter Ridge responded with a 15-5 run to close out the first quarter.

The Pirates held a 23-17 lead at halftime, but Piedmont surged in the third quarter.

The Panthers scored the first five points of the second half, pulling to within 23-22 when Jade Montgomery connected on a 3-pointer.

With 10 seconds left in the quarter, Montgomery came up with a big steal, leading to a field goal that tied the game at 30-all.

“[Montgomery] is the engine to that team,” PR coach Ina Thompson said of the junior guard. “If she didn’t actually get the steal, she probably was the one who created the steal. She is by far, I think, one of the best basketball players in this county.

“She’s a triple threat. She can shoot it, she can pass it and she can drive.”

Piedmont forward Amber Weaver was fouled before the third quarter closed, making both free throw attempts and giving Piedmont a two-point lead entering the fourth.

With the game tied at 36-all and 1:17 remaining in regulation, Porter Ridge forward Kelley Godbout drew a foul trying to the rim and made both free throws to give PR a 38-36 lead.

Godbout, a junior forward, led PR with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Piedmont was called for traveling violations on their following two possessions and was forced to start fouling with 37 seconds remaining. Godbout was sent to the line once again, making her first free throw but missing the second.

Montgomery took advantage of the miss, rushing down the court for a layup to pull her team within one point.

Piedmont’s Allison Florence came away with a steal on the following PR possession, leading to a jump ball that gave the Panthers possession.

PR forced a turnover, but Montgomery made another steal, drawing a foul and heading to the line for two free throws. She made the first, tying the game at 39.

PR turned the ball right back over with five seconds remaining and after an in-bounds, Weaver put up an off-balanced 18-footer from the corner – but the shot bounced short off the side of the rim and the game went into overtime.

Piedmont trailed 46-45 with 30 seconds left in the OT and had to start fouling.

PR’s Hayley Secrest was fouled and made both free throw attempts, giving the Pirates a 48-45 win that held until the end.

Thompson subbed Secrest into the game specifically for that purpose.

“Hayley (Secrest) is a good ball handler and a good free throw shooter, obviously just a good shooter period,” Thompson said. “Getting the ball in her hands helped out tremendously.”

Secrest, a sophomore guard, never missed a field goal (3-for-3) and totaled nine points in just 10 minutes of play.

Montgomery finished with a game-high 20 points and eight steals.

Porter Ridge will face the winner of Sun Valley and Marvin Ridge in the semifinals on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

“This game being as close as it was was good because we have a break (until Tuesday),” Thompson said. “If this had been a Monday night game where we’re playing on Tuesday it would have been very, very rough.

“Both teams getting up and down the floor, our legs were getting tired – it was difficult, a very difficult game.”