NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Berea 71, Piedmont 63
Records: Berea, 26-2; Piedmont, 17-11

BEREA, Ky. - In a back-and-forth battle, the Piedmont women's basketball team came up just short in a 71-63 CCS Tournament Final loss at Berea on Sunday afternoon.

Piedmont took a 60-59 lead on a LAKEN STILES jumper with 2:35 remaining, but the Mountaineers responded, closing the game on a 12-3 run to take the inaugural CCS Tournament Championship.

Much like Saturday's semifinal win over LaGrange, the Lady Lions used a balanced scoring attack that was led by DESTINY DEETZ. The junior forward tallied 13 points and scored in double figures in all three CCS Tournament contests. NAKIYAH WASHINGTON was the only other Lady Lion to reach double figures, adding 10 points and eight rebounds.

Aaliyah Hampton was the star for Berea, leading all scorers with 24 points.

The game was close until the very end, with neither side able to stretch a significant lead. Piedmont led 12-10 early, but the Mountaineers rebounded with a quick 8-0 run to take an 18-12 lead into the second quarter.

The second quarter then belonged to the Lady Lions, who refused to let the deficit grow in a 21-16 scoring run in the second quarter. Piedmont led by as many as four on a couple of occasions in the period before a late Berea run gave it the one-point lead headed to the break.

The Mountaineers scored the first two field goals of the second half to push their lead to five, but the Lions immediately answered with quick 7-0 run to tie the score at 40-all. From there, neither team led by more than three in the quarter as Hampton's driving layup gave the Mountaineers a two-point edge with 10 minutes remaining.

COLBY REED's three-pointer gave Piedmont a 52-49 lead midway through the final quarter and the Lions were then able to push the lead to as much as five at 58-53. However, the Mountaineers did not go away and clawed back into the contest as a jumper from Lynkaylah James gave them the lead for good with 2:18 left to play.

Piedmont was unable to stave off the momentum shift as the Mountaineers iced the game at the free throw line.

The Lady Lions finish the season with a 17-10 overall record and a runner-up finish in the CCS Tournament.

TURNING POINT:
- The Mountaineers led 61-60 as Jayden Merriweathers' cluth corner three-pointer gave them a 64-60 lead with just over a minute left.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Deetz closed out the season in impressive style, scoring in double figures for the fourth straight game and leading the squad with 13 points.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- After earning 47 free throw attempts in Saturday's semifinal win, the Lady Lions were just 10-of-14 at the free throw line Sunday, while Berea attempted 31 free throws, making 18.
- Piedmont was solid from beyond the arc, knocking down 7-of-22 three-point attempts.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- Piedmont and Berea are now 2-2 against each other in conference tournament finals.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University 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