LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- With parents and loved ones on hand, seniors Dominique McGaughey, Stephen Johnson, and Logan Dahms made sure that this Senior Night would not be one to forget. The three men, playing in their final game at Barnes Physical Education Center, put on a show and helped get the Scots their fifth win of the season with a 70-60 victory over LaGrange College Tuesday night.
Johnson scored a season-high 14 points while pulling down 4 rebounds and getting 3 steals. It was the first time all season that Johnson had scored in double figures. McGaughey continued his outstanding play with 5 assists, 3 steals, 4 points, and 2 crucial free throws in the final minute of play that helped seal the win. Not to be outdone, Dahms collected 5 rebounds to go along with 5 points and 2 steals.
"Playing at Covenant has been a dream come true," said Dahms. "And I wouldn't have traded it for anything. The best part for me has been being able to work really hard alongside great teammates every day, and tonight was the epitome of that. Everybody played really hard, and I thought Dom and Steve ('The Lord of the Rims') especially had great games; it's been a huge blessing to play with the two of them. It was the best way to end it here at home: with a great win in front of friends and family with everybody on the court playing their roles and really clicking. It was surreal."
The Scots led from the opening tip until the final buzzer sounded. Callum Sears connected on a three-pointer, assisted by McGaughey, on Covenant's opening possession, and the Scots never looked back. Covenant built up their lead to 10 at 21-11 after Jon DeVries' tough layup with 8:01 left in the half. LaGrange cut into the Scots lead with a three-pointer from Marcus Vaughn at the halftime buzzer, making it 28-27 in favor of the home team at the half.
But within the first 5 minutes of the second half, Covenant had extended their lead out to 9. Zarome Lakey's tip-in, and subsequent free throw, completed a three-point play that made it 38-29 at the 15:45 mark. LaGrange would make several little runs, but the Scots had the answer every time. A steal by Johnson led to a fast break where McGaughey found Sears for a layup that effectively put the game away with 2:20 left and the Scots leading 58-49. Covenant would then hit 12-16 free throws in the final minutes to secure the win.
"Playing at Covenant has been a great experience because of how close we are as a team," expressed Johnson after the game. "It's great being able to play with some of your best friends on a daily basis. Last night was a fantastic way to end my career as we won and all the seniors really contributed. But it was sad knowing this was the last game at Covenant after so many years of practice and work. Hopefully we started something we can build on for future years."
Covenant (5-18) was led by Callum Sears and his 18 points on 7-11 shooting. Jon DeVries and Zarome Lakey each had 11 points with DeVries pulling down 5 rebounds. The Scots were 23-50 (46%) from the floor, while making 17-22 from the free throw line.
LaGrange was held to just 36% shooting and turned the ball over 23 times. The Panthers (4-20) were led by Nic Whitfield who led all scorers with 22 points on a perfect 10-10 shooting. Marcus Vaughn achieved a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Covenant will conclude its season on the road over the next week. The Scots will first travel to Louisville, Kentucky to take on Spalding College on Friday, February 18 at 7:00pm. Then next Tuesday, February 22, Covenant will play against Berry College at 8:00pm.
