LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Playing less than 24 hours after a trip to Montgomery, Alabama and a loss is no easy task, but that was what the Covenant Scots were faced with Thursday night.  Add in the fact that they had to play the top team in the Great South Athletic Conference would make things even harder.  Covenant battled against a good Maryville College squad, but ultimately fell to the rival Scots 75-56 in front of the largest crowd of the season at Barnes Physical Education Center.
 
With Covenant incorporating a suffocating defense, Maryville struggled to get going in the first half as Covenant led for the first 5 minutes.  Maryville would start knocking down shots and wound up leading for the rest of the half.  Cory Cheek's three-pointer with under a minute remaining in the half gave Maryville their largest lead of 12 points at 35-23 which they would take into halftime. Covenant had a better shooting percentage in the half (43.5%) than did Maryville (40.7%), but 6 made three-pointers was the difference for Maryville.
 
Down 48-35 with 12:33 left in the game, Covenant made their run at Maryville. The home Scots went on a 7-0 scoring spurt, sparked by 5 points from Rosbie Mutcherson including a three-pointer to bring the Scots within 6 points at 48-42 at the 10:08 mark.  But Maryville then proved why they are to be considered the best team in the GSAC as they outscored the Scots 18-5 over the next 6:24 to put the game away.
 
Callum Sears was the only Covenant player in double figures with his 12 points on 6-11 shooting.  Covenant did, however, get outstanding bench play as Stephen Johnson, Damien Chaney, and Rosbie Mutcherson combined to score 21 points as reserves.  Sam Bowman led Covenant (4-15) in rebounds with 7.
 
Maryville (12-7) was led in scoring by Cory Cheek and Eryk Watson as the two each scored 21 points on the night.  Watson had 16 of his 21 in the first half, and Cheek was a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. Daniel Rucker had a game-high 13 rebounds as well for the Scots.
 
Covenant will have the next five days off before playing at home against The University of the South on Tuesday, February 1 with tip-off set for 8:00pm.  Covenant was defeated by the Tigers 60-51 earlier in the year.