LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Coming off their first win in nearly two months, the Covenant Scots had a lot of momentum going into Friday night's contest with the Rust College Bearcats. The visitors, though, took control of the game early and withstood a couple of late Covenant runs to come away with a 90-81 victory.
Covenant drops to 5-14 overall after the loss, while Rust improves to .500 at 10-10.
Three Scots scored in double figures led by 14 points apiece from Callum Sears and TJ Cox. Sears also collected five assists. Jon DeVries added 12 points and five rebounds. Bryant Engbers, coming off a career night against Piedmont, scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds.
Rust scored just eight seconds into the game when Larry Veasley swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Bearcats up 3-0. Rust would lead for the entirety of the game. The Bearcats went up by as many as 20 points in the first half, but the resilient Scots would climb back into the game.
A jumper by Callum Sears made it 35-17 in favor of Rust, and sparked a 12-0 scoring run by Covenant. Paul Werkema converted a conventional three-point play after an offensive rebound and putback to cut the Scots deficit to 35-27 with just under six minutes left in the half. Rust would get the lead back up to 14 points before Covenant went on a quick 9-4 run to make it 47-38 at the break.
In the second half, both teams traded baskets until the Scots rattled off a 9-2 run, capped by a pair of free throws by DeVries, that brought Covenant as close as they would get all night at 66-62. Rust answered the Covenant run with a 7-0 run themselves to go up by nine. The Scots had one last gasp with under a minute remaining as Sears buried a 3 to make it 86-79. Rust then missed a free throw, but Covenant could not convert on their good fortune.
Rust was led by Markeith Wilson who scored 17 of his 26 points in the first half. Wilson was 10-of-17 from the field, including four 3-pointers, to go along with three assists and two steals. Veasley added 14 points, while Andrew Birks came off the bench to score 12. Point guard William Montgomery dished out a team-high nine assists while grabbing nine rebounds.
The Bearcats had a slight edge on rebounds at 37-36, but Covenant pulled down 18 offensive boards which led to 18 second chance points. The Scots managed just 43.4 percent (33-76) from the field, while Rust shot 57.8 percent (37-64).
Covenant returns to conference action on Feb. 1 when they host Maryville College on Lookout Mountain at 8 p.m. Maryville defeated Covenant 89-64 in the teams' previous meeting this season.
