NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 91, SUNY Brockport 82
Records: Piedmont, 5-2; SUNY Brockport, 2-4

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Piedmont men's basketball overtook SUNY Brockport with a big second half to win 91-82 Monday afternoon and advance to the Mauro Panaggio Tournament Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Trailing by three at the break, the Lions saw their offense come to life with a 56-point second half to race past the Golden Eagles.

Fisher Darden led the way for Piedmont on Monday, scoring a season-high 27 points to go with a team-best nine rebounds and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. The starting five was productive across the board, however, with all five reaching double figures.

Junior guard Israel Hall continued his breakout season with 19 points and a season-high five steals to lead the team. Three-time CCS Rookie of the Week Parker Renault added 13 points and seven rebounds while Dylan Patrick and Javi Marlowe totaled 11 points each. Silas Mulligan was productive off the bench, scoring seven points in 11 minutes of game action.

Led by four quick points from Renault, the Lions ran out to a quick early lead, grabbing a 13-4 advantage just five minutes into the game. However, Brockport fought back throughout the half, with an 8-0 run in the closing minutes of the first half to grab a 38-35 edge going to the locker room.

The Lions were aggressive to begin the second half, converting five free throws in the opening 1:19 of the period to quickly draw even on the scoreboard.

Despite the Golden Eagles' best efforts, Piedmont began to pull away midway through the second half, as the offense continually created good looks and free throw opportunities. In just over four minutes of game action, Piedmont stretched its lead from 58-57 to 73-62, punctuated by an and-one from Darden.

From there, the Lions led and controlled the game the rest of the way, icing the win from the free throw line in the final minutes.

Up next, the Lions will battle Trine for the tournament title with tipoff scheduled for tomorrow, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
- Piedmont used a 15-5 run over around four minutes of game action to separate from the Golden Eagles.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Darden delivered a season-high 27 points and tied for the team lead with nine rebounds.
- Hall added 19 points and a team-high five steals.
- Marlowe tied for the team lead with nine rebounds.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Piedmont was rock solid from the foul line, converting 24-of-28, including 16-of-18 in the second half.

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.