The Georgia Northwestern Bobcats saw their chance to secure a winning regular season slip away at home on Thursday night as the visiting Covenant College JV Scots got a measure of revenge for a five-point home loss to the Bobcats last month with a 75-72 victory in Rossville.
The Bobcats (12-11) led 41-37 at intermission. Transition points had gotten the home team out to as much as a 14-point lead with less than seven minutes to play in the opening half. But Ari Zorns had 15 points in the first half for the Scots as he helped whittle down the Bobcats' lead.
Covenant would open the second half on a 7-2 spurt to take a 44-43 lead with 16:30 to play and would never trail again, although were never able to put the Bobcats away until the final horn had sounded.
The Scots boosted their lead to double digits, 64-54, with seven minutes to go when the home team started to chip away.
Clynt Bell and Alec Rattanaxay would hit 3-pointers and a trey by Darrius Fugh cut the Scots' lead to 71-69 with 50 seconds remaining. Covenant would connect on two free throws, but a three-ball by Rattanaxay with a half-minute left pulled GNTC to 73-72.
The Bobcats were forced to foul and the Scots again made both free throws. Fugh would get one final look at a game-tying three, but the ball would bounce off the rim as time expired.
Zorns finished with 24 points for Covenant, followed by Joe Womack with 16 and Jake Johnson with 14.
Fugh paced the Bobcats with 21 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Demonte Parker had 12 points and six boards. Rattanaxay finished with 14 points and six rebounds, while Patrick Simmons, Daniel Parrish and Darius Floyd had six points apiece.
Free throw shooting once again hurt the Bobcats as they were just 13-of-23 from the line for the game.
The Bobcats will have one final opportunity to finish with a winning record as they host Warren Wilson (N.C.) College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the R.A.C. A reception celebrating the 30-year coaching career of David Stephenson will follow after the game.