LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga.—A 25-5 run spanning the first and second quarters was all host Covenant needed to beat Agnes Scott in USA South Women's Basketball action on Wednesday afternoon. The Scotties put up a good fight coming out of halftime, but Covenant's first-half spurt gave them the cushion they needed to pull off a 63-48 win.
Agnes Scott falls to 0-13 on the season and 0-4 in conference play, while Covenant improves to 3-9 and 1-3 respectively.
The New Year did not yield new results the Scotties were looking for as they were unable to overcome a sluggish start on the offensive end after committing 20 turnovers in the opening half. The Scots made them pay for the mistakes with 16 points off those turnovers in the first half, building a 37-14 advantage by the break.
Third quarters had been a thorn in the side of the Scotties all season long, but facing one of its largest deficits to date in 2018-19, Agnes Scott outscored an opponent in the period for the first time. The Scotties trimmed a 26-point disadvantage to 16 as the two teams approached the final 10-minute frame thanks to an outside offensive game that suddenly got hot. Shay Sweat (Lawrenceville, Ga.) came alive for the Scotties in the third making all three of her attempts from outside.
The Scotties outscored their opponent again in the fourth quarter, but Covenant never allowed the Scotties to get any closer than 14 points to preserve the victory.
Covenant's Bekah Walter led all scorers with 16 points. Teammate Margo Koby finished with 15.
Kalin Smith (Kiln, Miss.) and Sweat tied for the team lead with nine points apiece. Garis Grant (Charleston, S.C.) had an eye-popping 17 rebounds with many of them coming in the second half as the Scotties limited Covenant's offensive rebounding opportunities over the final 20 minutes. Briana Holland (Austell, Ga.), the reigning USA South Rookie of the Week, finished with seven points and a career-high five assists. Emma Olson (Austin, Texas) also had a nice day with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting.
Agnes Scott outrebounded its opponent 48-37, but a season-high 34 turnovers allowed the Scots to take 25 more shots from the floor.
Agnes Scott returns home to Decatur to host Maryville and Piedmont this weekend, both games tipping off at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday respectively.