NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 57, Berea 50
Records: Piedmont, 15-9 (9-6 CCS); Berea, 22-3 (15-1 CCS)

DEMOREST, Ga. - Piedmont women's basketball spoiled Berea's bid at an undefeated conference season, besting the Mountaineers with a 57-50 Senior Day victory on Saturday afternoon at Cave Arena.

The Lions held the Mountaineers scoreless for the first 8:42 of the contest and held off a furious late rally to earn the win.


 

The defense was on ?? in a big Senior Day win for your Lions!! pic.twitter.com/4PZY0DWiSC

— Piedmont WBB (@PiedmontWBB) February 17, 2024

Piedmont forced 10 first quarter turnovers from Berea to build an 8-0 lead and a 10-2 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.

On the day she was honored as part of Senior Day festivities, Ashley Scott led the Lions once again, scoring 15 points including some crucial buckets down the stretch. Freshman Alexandria Willis was the only other Lion to reach double figures, adding 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds. 

After Piedmont took a 26-17 lead into the halftime break, Berea found its offensive footing in the third quarter, with a quick 7-0 run to start the second half. The Mountaineers were able to come as close as one at 31-30, but the Lions responded with baskets from Scott and Willis to extend the lead again.

Piedmont led by 10 at 47-37 halfway through the final quarter, but once again, the Mountaineers stormed back to cut their deficit to two. However, the Lions were clutch down the stretch. In the final minute alone, Willis, senior Destiny Deetz and Kennedi Henson each went 2-for-2 from the foul line to seal the victory.

Up next, the Lions will host a home CCS Quarterfinal game on Tuesday night at Cave Arena.

TURNING POINT:
- Piedmont's stifling defense to start the game held Berea scoreless for almost the entirety of the first quarter.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Scott led the Lions with 15 points.
- As a team, the Lions held the Mountaineers to 25% (12-of-48) shooting for the game.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- The win for Piedmont ended Berea's 15-game win streak as the Mountaineers fell one game short of a perfect CCS slate.
- Piedmont's victory snapped a seven-game losing streak against Berea.

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 X: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions,  and Facebook.