Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College men's basketball team saw the visiting Screaming Eagles of Toccoa Falls College race out early in the first half and were unable to recover falling 88-82 to its local rival. 

Piedmont was lead by PEYTON LUKEN's 24 total points as he hit a career-high seven three pointers including four in the second half.  Twice this season, Luken has hit six three-pointers in a single contest as all but one of the youngster's field goals came from distance.  

Luken was one of four in double figures on the day for PC along with CHRIS MEEKS who put up 11 points and pulled down 11 boards for his third straight double-double and 7th overall in 2014-15.  BRIAN EDWARDS scored 13 hitting on 4-of-8 from the field including his only three point try while his classmate CHASE ENGLAND scored ten with seven rebounds to his name.

LANDRY ASSINESI led the team with his six assists while scoring seven points himself hitting on all four three throw tries.  

Trailing by 12 at the halftime break, Piedmont would get a lift from the sophomore Luken as he hit back-to-back threes to help PC immediately cut the deficit in half.  Luken would score the first seven points for PC out of the locker room as the Lions went on an 11-4 run to open the period capped by BRIAN EDWARDS' only three of the afternoon.

Toccoa answered the Piedmont flurry that started the 2nd half staying in front by ten, 64-54 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation.  The Lions would put together a 9-2 run to cut it to a one possession game minutes later, but another Derek Westfall lay-in put the visitors back up five as Toccoa continued to stay in front despite the rally efforts of the home team.

Westfall was outstanding on the afternoon for the Screaming Eagles totaling 26 points connecting on 13-of-16 from the field. Toccoa also relied of the scoring of Josh Barrett who had 20 points including three on a buzzer beater just before halftime that came from near halfcourt.

Despite the Eagles building a double digit lead in the closing ten minutes, Luken connected on one of his seven three's with 6:51 left to make it a 5-point game, 66-61.  Just over a minute later, CHASE ENGLAND connected on a jumper that made it just a one-possession game, but Westfall of Toccoa answered with another lay-in to put the visitors back up five. 

Piedmont again cut the lead down with a BRIAN EDWARDS free throw bringing PC as close as the Lions had been since the first half trailing 70-69, but Toccoa scored seven straight to put themselves up eight as the visitors continued to try and close it out.  The Lions brought the margin back down to four with just over two minutes to go, but a three-pointer from Toccoa was the first of five straight for the Eagles who went on to close out the 88-82 road win.

Toccoa improves to 17-11 with the victory while Piedmont drops to 13-12 overall after the non-conference loss.

Following today's regular season finale vs. Toccoa, Piedmont will return to action this coming Thursday as the Lions make their first USA South postseason appearance since joining the league three years ago.  The Championship Tournament will be hosted at Averett University in Danville, Virginia after the Cougars won the league's regular season title with a 78-73 win at home over William Peace University.

Thursday's game time and match up has yet to be announced with a formal announcement expected the beginning of the week from the USA South league office regarding tournament seeding and official game times. 

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to PiedmontLions.com for updates as men's basketball enters USA South postseason play.  For more information on the Piedmont men's basketball program, follow Piedmont on Twitter (@PiedmontLions), like the Lions on Facebook (facebook.com/PiedmontCollegeLions), or sign up for the Lions' Roar text-messaging score & news alerts through the "All-Access" pulldown menu on the main page at PiedmontLions.com.