LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Coming off Christmas Break and everything that surrounds the holiday season, food and family to name a few, is tough for any college basketball team to do. Add in the fact that a team has to come back and play an undefeated opponent just causes additional problems. The Covenant Scots were in this very situation Thursday afternoon at Barnes Gymnasium as they played their first game since a week before Christmas against an undefeated Ferrum College Panthers squad. Ferrum sported a perfect 9-0 record coming into the game, including a win over Piedmont College, a member of Covenant's Great South Athletic Conference, 92-54. In the recent NCAA Division III Top 25, the Panthers gained 20 votes which was good enough for 30th.
The Scots would make a strong comeback in the second half, but ultimately Ferrum was too strong for the young Covenant team as the Panthers came away with a 73-59 victory.
Covenant was undoubtedly the huge underdog going into the contest, and it showed early on. A Callum Sears three-pointer with 14:42 left in the first half gave Covenant a brief 10-7 lead, but that would quickly vanish as the Panthers turned up the defensive pressure and forced five Scots turnovers during a 17-0 scoring spurt. Ferrum kept the tempo of the game right where they wanted it for most of the rest of the first half as they made Covenant turn the ball over 18 times in the first 20 minutes of play. Ferrum's Derek Mitchell made a layup with 30 ticks left in the first half that gave the Panthers their largest lead of the half at 42-24, which they would bring into the locker room.
Second half woes have been a major story during the first half of the Covenant season. Yet the Scots were able to turn around the script on this day as Covenant came roaring out of the locker room with an 18-2 run, capped off by Kacey Chambers' three-pointer, to cut the deficit to just four at 46-42 with 14:00 left. The two teams traded baskets over the next few possessions, but it was Ferrum that made the run to seal the game. Lamont King's steal and layup with 8:28 remaining in the game put the Panthers up 60-48. Covenant cut the lead back under double digits on the following possession with a three from Sears, but that was as close as the feisty Scots would come.
Four Covenant players scored in double figures with Kacey Chambers and Callum Sears leading the way with each scoring 13 points off the bench; both also hit 3 three-pointers. Forward Sam Bowman had 10 points and 3 assists, while Chase Foster added in 10 points as a reserve. After shooting only 36% from the field in the first half, Covenant shot 54.5% in the second half and for the game connected on 44.7% (21-47).
Ferrum (10-0) was led by Keith Crump and his 23 points. Derek Mitchell contributed yet another double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Coming into the game, Mitchell averaged over 19 PPG and over 14 RPG on the season. Marcus Mayo was the only other Panther in double digits (11).
Covenant (1-11) will next take on Spalding University on Friday, December 31 at 2:00pm on Lookout Mountain.
