LaGrange College’s men’s basketball team achieved a couple of firsts Wednesday night.

The Panthers beat Piedmont College 85-80 for their first Great South Athletic Conference win of the season, and they also collected their first road victory in the process.

The Panthers (6-13 overall) improved to 1-2 in GSAC play.

Joe Cromwell paced the Panthers with 20 points, while Deji Adako had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

After storming out to a 16-6 lead, the Panthers settled for a one-point lead at the half.

In a second half that featured 10 lead changes and nine ties, Piedmont took its largest lead at 63-57 with 11 minutes remaining.

The Panthers rallied to tie it at 71 before taking the lead for good.

The Panthers made four consecutive free throws in the c losing seconds to seal the victory.

The Panthers visit Methodist College (N.C.) on Saturday before returning home to host Rust College on Monday at 7 p.m.

In Wednesday’s women’s game, Piedmont handed LaGrange College an 85-78 defeat.

The Panthers (8-5 overall) are 3-3 in conference play.

The game was tight in the second half, with LaGrange College scoring to tie it at 47-47.

The Lady Lions, though, exploded for a 19-2 run to take charge of the game.

The Panthers kept fighting, and they cut the deficit to single digits late, but Piedmont’s lead was too large.

The Lady Lions forced 16 turnovers that led to 22 points and recorded 26 points in the paint.

Valeree Williams led LaGrange College with a game high 24 points to lead five teammates in double figures.

The Panthers will look to get back on track when they host conference foe Agnes Scott at 2 p.m. on Saturday.