Double-digit points from both Cosette Kirsch and Karis McIntosh were not enough in Tuesday evening's USA South matchup as the Covenant women's basketball team was bested by the visiting Piedmont Lions, 63-50.
The loss drops the Scots to 6-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Kirsch finished with 17 points, while McIntosh went 6-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-3 from 3-point land for a total of 16 points. Ruthie Moore added eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Covenant was able to stay with Piedmont in the first quarter, ending the period trailing by four (16-12).
McIntosh was 2-for-2 from the floor and tallied five points during the quarter.
But the Scots would struggle offensively during the second period, only putting up six points. The Lions responded with 11 points of their own, giving them a 27-18 lead at the half.
Piedmont would then open the third quarter with a 15-4 run which extended their lead to 20 with just over five minutes to play in the period (42-22). But Covenant responded with a 10-2 scoring run of their own, cutting the deficit to 12 points (44-32).
During the last few seconds of the third period, though, the Lions were able to tack on another four points, giving them a 48-32 lead going into the final quarter.
At the start of the fourth, Piedmont strung together another scoring run to extend their lead, outscoring the Scots 10-3 and taking a 23 point lead (58-35) with 4:45 to play.
Covenant was not to go quietly though and would respond with a 10-0 run, cutting the lead to 13 with 2:29 to play (58-45). Kirsch tallied six of the 10 points during the run.
The Scots continued to fight until the buzzer, as Kirsch would hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left to keep the deficit at 13. But, ultimately the Lions were able to hold onto their lead and gain the 63-50 victory.
Piedmont was led by Klaire Varney who had 16 points, while Nakiyah Washington added 14 points. The Lions improve to 13-3 overall and 7-1 in the USA South.
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Covenant will host Huntingdon this Saturday, January 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.