The Covenant men's basketball team used a 28-9 scoring run over the final eight minutes of play to erase an eight-point deficit and earn a 79-68 victory at Piedmont on Wednesday
night in USA South action.
The win moves the Scots to 13-8 overall on the year and 8-3 in the USA South. It also clinches a winning season and the eight wins in the USA South are the most since joing the league in 2013-14. Covenant has also won the last four meetings with Piedmont.
Berto Dryden tied a career-high with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers to lead the Scots.
TJ Cox added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists while Bailey Spragg chipped in 12 points. Patjo Twagirayezu came off the bench to score 10 points. Chris Boyd collected nine rebounds to go with five points.
The Scots trailed 59-51 with 7:40 remaining in the second half after Piedmont's Justin Vallejo made a jumper. From that point on, Covenant dominated the game outscoring the Lions by 19 the rest of the way.
The scoring burst started with a 10-0 run that gave the Scots a 61-59 lead with 5:20 to go after Daniel Garrett drained a 3-pointer. With the score tied at 62 moments later, Covenant rattled off eight straight as Twagirayezu and Spragg made 3-pointers and a Dryden jumper capped the run giving the Scots a 70-62 lead with 2:24 remaining. Covenant would then make critical free throws down the stretch to hold off Piedmont. The Scots went 12-of-16 from the free throw line in the
second half.
Covenant shot 50 percent (16-of-32) in the second half and outscored the Lions 50-34. For the game, Covenant connected on 46 percent (29-of-63) from the floor and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from 3-point land. The Scots held a 41-36 rebounding edge.
Piedmont held a lead for much of the first half. The Lions took their largest lead of the game at 34-23 with 1:50 left after a Trae Gaines basket. Covenant closed its gap to 34-29 at the half after a Will Portlock layup with under a minute left.
Peyton Luken and Vallejo led Piedmont (12-9, 4-6 USA South) with 13 points apiece. Gaines added 12 points and Chris Meeks 11.
The Covenant women's basketball team hung around a Piedmont team that came into the night undefeated in USA South play, but the host Lions used a strong third period to pull away from the
Scots in a 78-44 win.
Covenant has dropped three straight and moves to 7-13 overall and 4-8 in conference play. Piedmont remains perfect at 12-0 in the USA South and is now 17-4 overall.
Aleigha Williams led the Scots with 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and four steals. Joanna Smith added eight points, eight rebounds and two assists while Kate Patrick scored six points off the bench for Covenant.
Covenant ended the first period by scoring four straight points as Williams connected on jumpers on back-to-back possessions to draw the Scots within 17-14 entering the second. Covenant got as close as one point in the second after Patrick made a 3-pointer with 4:39 remaining
to make it 24-23. The Lions grabbed a 32-25 lead entering halftime.
But in the third, it was all Piedmont. The Lions outscored the Scots 21-5 in the period to take a 53-30 lead heading into the fourth and would cruise from there to the victory.
Symone Ball led the Lions with 12 points, while Dakota Sullens had nine. Jatasia Bailey and Jalen Davis had eight points apiece off the bench. Brianna Barrett chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.