Joanna Smith scored a career-high 22 points and dished out five assists, but the Covenant women's basketball team could not overcome Ferrum in a 68-65 loss on Saturday inside Barnes PE Center.
The loss was the second three-point defeat for Covenant (7-12, 4-7 USA South) in as many nights. Ferrum improves to 10-11 overall and 8-4 in the USA South.
Smith tallied her 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Aleigha Williams added 15 points, while Clara Dirkse had three 3-pointers for nine total points. Kaley Hallmark chipped in seven points and two assists.
Covenant trailed for the majority of the contest, but kept within striking distance of the visiting Panthers. Ferrum had a 38-28 halftime lead as it shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) in the opening two periods.
Ferrum led by as many as 16 in the third period, but Covenant rallied. Down 48-32, the Scots ended the third period on a 16-4 scoring run, capped by a 3-pointer from Hallmark in the final five seconds of the quarter, slicing the deficit to 52-48.
Covenant drew even with the Panthers after Williams drained a 3-pointer with 6:18 left in the fourth to tie the score at 56. Ferrum's Lindsay Martin answered with a 3-pointer of her own on the following possession. Covenant trailed 68-65 with 23 seconds left after a Smith layup and then forced a Ferrum turnover, but the Scots missed three 3-pointers on the ensuing possession that would have tied the game.
Ferrum was led by Kemani Crawford's 21 points and six rebounds. Krista Cox tallied 12 points, on four 3-pointers, while Zarkia Mattox accumulated 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Covenant shot 38.3 percent (23-of-60) from the field with a season-high 11 3-pointers. Ferrum connected on 51.1 percent (24-of-47) with nine treys.
The Covenant men's basketball team could not hold on to a six-point halftime lead as visiting Ferrum outscored the Scots by 12 in the second half to claim a 67-61 victory.
For Covenant, the loss drops the Scots out of first place in the USA South. The Scots (12-8, 7-3 USA South) sit a game back of North Carolina Wesleyan for the top spot and are tied for second in the league with Greensboro. Ferrum (11-10, 6-4 USA South) has won four consecutive conference games.
Both teams struggled to score in the first half, but Covenant went into the break with a 25-19 lead. The Scots shot just 31 percent in the period, but limited Ferrum to only 18.5 percent. Covenant led by as many as 10 at 18-8 after a Z Arima 3-pointer with 6:02 left.
It was a different story in the second half as Ferrum caught fire from the field. The Panthers made 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field and used that to erase their deficit. Ferrum grabbed a 48-41 lead after a KeAndre' Robinson jumper with 10:03 remaining, but the Scots answered with a 7-0 run to knot the score at 48. All seven points came from Ben Phelps as he connected on a jumper followed by a deep 3-pointer and a driving layup with 8:29 left.
Covenant gained a 52-49 lead with 5:20 left on a Chris Boyd jumper but Ferrum responded with a quick 5-0 run to re-take the lead at 54-52. Trailing 62-59 with under a minute left, Covenant's Berto Dryden sank a jumper to cut the deficit to one. Dryden then came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass, but could not convert a tough layup with 32 seconds left.
Ferrum then made 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to seal the conference win.
TJ Cox led all players with 17 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals for Covenant. Phelps poured in 12 points, while Boyd had nine points and eight rebounds. Covenant shot 36.2 percent (25-of-69) from the floor, while Ferrum made 37 percent (20-of-54).
Ferrum's Josh Grimard led the Panthers with 14 points. Alek Ayer added 13 points, while Rashawn Speas just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Robinson also narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds.