Box Score NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 62, Berea 50
Records: Piedmont, 15-8 (11-3 USA South); Berea, 21-3 (14-1 USA South)

BEREA, Ky. - The Piedmont women's basketball team dominated Berea from start-to-finish, handing the Mountaineers their first loss in conference play, 62-50, on Saturday afternoon at the Seabury Center in Berea.

The Lady Lions (15-8, 11-3 USA South) overtook the Mountaineers (21-3, 14-1 USA South) late in the first quarter and never looked back, using a dominant defensive effort and an outstanding overall performance from freshman NAKIYAH WASHINGTON to win their seventh consecutive contest.

Washington did it all for Piedmont, leading all scorers with 19 points while adding 12 rebounds, seven steals, five blocks and four assists.

After Berea jumped out to an 8-4 lead midway through the first quarter, the Lady Lions turned up the intensity and closed the period on a 10-3 run to take a 14-11 lead into the second.

Piedmont continued its impressive play throughout the second quarter, holding the Mountaineers to just seven points. Washington led the way on offense for PC, scoring 12 first-half points to go with six rebounds and four assists. The Lady Lions committed just two turnovers on offense and held Berea to 17 percent shooting over the first 20 minutes to build a 32-18 edge at the break.

The Mountaineers responded with a quick 5-0 run to begin the second half, but Piedmont immediately answered back with a run of its own to increase its lead to as much as 22 points late in the third quarter.

Washington continued to dominate for the Lady Lions, adding seven more points in the third as Piedmont led by 18 heading into the final period.

PC pushed its lead to 23 points with 5:40 remaining in the contest, removing all doubt from the outcome. However, the Mountaineers battled until the final whistle, scoring the game's final 12 points to decrease the final margin to 62-50.

Up next, the Lady Lions will travel to Brevard to take on the Tornados on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
- Piedmont's 10-3 run to end the first quarter sparked a run of outstanding play by the Lady Lions, who led the by double-digits from midway through the second quarter through the end of the contest.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Washington nearly produced the second triple-double in less than a week for the Lady Lions, scoring 19 points to go with 12 rebounds, seven steals, five blocks and four assists.
- AMARI PRICE totaled a career-high 13 rebounds while adding eight points, four assists and three steals.
- Freshman forward Makayla Shymanski tallied career highs in points (eight) and rebounds (six).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- PC committed just 11 turnovers and held Berea to 18 percent shooting for the game.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont College Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.