Covenant Women Snap Skid With Win At LaGrange

Saturday, January 13, 2018
Andrew Mindeman

The Covenant women’s basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 56-49 win at LaGrange on Saturday afternoon in a USA South matchup at Mariotti Gym.

Covenant (6-9, 2-4 USA South) widened a 41-37 lead over the host Panthers (6-8, 1-5 USA South) to 48-37 after stringing together a 7-0 run to begin the fourth quarter.

Kaley Hallmark had five of the points during Covenant’s early push in the final quarter of action, and she ended the day with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists overall.

LaGrange sliced the lead to three, 52-49, with over two minutes left, but baskets from Bekah Walter and Jessica Bell late in the period secured the win for the Scots.

Walter led Covenant with 16 points to go with three rebounds. Bell scored 15 points, eight of which came in the final quarter, while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out two assists. Emma Grimes and Joanna Smith also had six points apiece, with Grimes recording three rebounds, forcing three steals, and picking up an assist while Smith recorded nine rebounds, four steals, and two assists.

Covenant got off to a great start in the first quarter, characterized by the hot shooting of Walter as she scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, with a pair of 3-pointers, in the quarter. The Scots led by as many as 10 in the period before settling for a 17-10 lead heading into the second. LaGrange bounced back in the second quarter and outscored Covenant 19-10 to take a 29-27 lead into the break.

The Scots regained the lead with strong defense in the third quarter. LaGrange made just two field goals in the third and committed eight turnovers and Covenant capitalized and went on a 7-0 run to take a 39-37 lead. Grimes hit a 3-pointer and baskets from Walter and Smith capped the run that gave the Scots a lead they would not give up.

Covenant was active on the defensive side of the ball, forcing the Panthers to turn the ball over 22 times, leading to 27 points. Hallmark led the team with six of the Scots’ 17 steals on the afternoon. The Scots connected on 39 percent (23-of-59) from the field, but held LaGrange to just 29.6 percent (16-of-54) for the game and 23.5 percent (8-of-34) from 3-point land.

LaGrange’s Riley Chlupacek had the strongest day for the Panthers, scoring 17 points. The Panthers’ leading scorer Lauren Johnson, who averages 13.7 points per game, scored seven points with two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Covenant will return home after a two-game road trip to face USA South West foe Maryville on Tuesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.