DEMOREST, Ga. (March 1, 2025) - The 2024-25 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Women’s Basketball Championship featured six teams battling for the conference crown, but when the dust settled, it was the Piedmont Lions who emerged victorious, securing their first-ever CCS Tournament title.

Playing on their home court at Cave Arena, the Lions overcame a slow start to surge past Belhaven in the second half, earning a 64-51 victory in the championship game. Despite shooting just 25.4% from the field, Piedmont’s relentless defense held the Blazers to 27.7% shooting. The Lions’ aggressive approach at the free-throw line proved to be the difference, as they attempted a season-high 40 free throws, converting 31—led by a dominant 18-of-22 performance from tournament standout Eades. The win marks Piedmont’s first conference tournament championship since their USA South three-peat from 2017-19 and clinches an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their placement and matchup will be announced on Monday.

Belhaven’s Gritty Run Ends in the Championship
Entering as the No. 3 seed, Belhaven made a strong push for the title, battling their way to the championship game for the second straight season. The Blazers opened their tournament run with an 81-73 victory over Huntingdon in the quarterfinals, a game highlighted by Ebony Gayden’s historic milestone—surpassing 1,000 career points to become just the 16th player in program history to do so.
In the semifinals, Belhaven faced No. 2 seed Asbury in a thrilling back-and-forth contest. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, but the Blazers stayed resilient, dominating the final quarter with a 20-11 scoring edge to complete the comeback win, 66-60. Facing Piedmont in the title game, Belhaven once again started strong, building an early 8-1 advantage. However, the Lions’ second-half surge proved too much to overcome. Despite falling short in the final, Belhaven capped off a historic season, winning a program-best 12 CCS games and securing their highest regular-season finish at third place.

Asbury Falls Short in Semifinals After Strong Season
Asbury, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, earned a bye into the semifinals after finishing as CCS co-regular season champions alongside Piedmont. In their first tournament game, the Eagles clashed with Belhaven in a high-intensity battle. Asbury controlled the game for over 22 minutes, led by standout performances from Haleigh Releford and Liz Boyd, who each scored 11 points. Releford added two steals and shot 5-of-10 from the field, while Boyd contributed four rebounds off the bench. Despite their efforts, the Eagles couldn’t hold off Belhaven’s late surge, falling 66-60 in a game that featured nine lead changes and two ties. Asbury closed out their season with an impressive 17-9 overall record, including a 14-3 mark in CCS play.

LaGrange’s Upset Bid Ends in the Semifinals
The No. 5 seed LaGrange Panthers made a statement in the opening round, pulling off an upset over No. 4 Maryville with a thrilling 71-69 victory. In a dramatic fourth quarter that saw 10 lead changes, the Panthers held their ground to secure their first postseason win over Maryville since 2011.

Their Cinderella run continued into the semifinals, where they faced top-seeded Piedmont. LaGrange kept the game competitive in the first half, but the Lions’ depth and defensive pressure took over in the second, leading to a 72-54 defeat. Despite the loss, the Panthers ended their
season on a high note, finishing 15-12 overall and 8-8 in CCS play.

Early Exits for Huntingdon and Maryville
Huntingdon, the No. 6 seed, saw its season come to an end in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 81-73 loss to Belhaven. The Hawks closed out the year with an 11-15 overall record, finishing 7-9 in CCS play.

Maryville, the No. 4 seed, also suffered a heartbreaking early exit, falling to LaGrange in the quarterfinals, 71-69. The Scots wrapped up their season at 11-15 overall with a solid 10-6 record in conference play.
 

All-Tournament Team
Nae-Nae Eades, Piedmont (MVP)
Ashley Scott, Piedmont
Andelin Hill, Piedmont
Ebony Gayden, Belhaven
Katelyn Coleman, Belhaven
Zyhia Johnson, LaGrange
Haleigh Releford, Asbury


Looking Ahead
With their championship victory, Piedmont secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and awaits Monday’s announcement of their opponent, stay up to date on where they go and who they play, here.



ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
 
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