BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Larry Thomas had 17 points to lead Birmingham Southern past the Covenant men's basketball team 68-49 on Wednesday night in Birmingham.

Covenant drops to 12-10 overall, while Birmingham Southern moves to 16-7 on the season.

Colton McGriff led the Scots in scoring with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, but was the lone Covenant player in double figures. Sam Bowman added eight points, five rebounds, and three blocks on the night. Rosbie Mutcherson and Nate Frierson had three assists apiece.

The Scots shot 41.7 percent (20-48) from the floor, but 29 turnovers were turned into 30 points for the host Panthers. Birmingham Southern shot 35.3 percent (18-51) but it was their 26-of-32 performance from the free-throw line that made a big difference.

Covenant had a brief 13-10 lead after a Bowman layup at the 10:11 mark of the first half. The Panthers would respond by outscoring Covenant 23-8 the rest of the half to go ahead 33-21 at the break.

In the second half, the Scots trimmed their deficit to eight points at 49-41 after a McGriff basket. Again, Birmingham Southern had the answer as they went on a 12-1 scoring run to take a 61-42 lead. The Panthers would lead by as many as 22 points in the period.

Alongside Thomas' 17 points, the Panthers also got 16 points and six rebounds from Zac Richards. Kevin Kegarise added eight points and three assists in the win.

Covenant will return to Barnes Physical Education Center on Saturday when they host Huntingdon at 4 p.m. Senior Night will take place before the game at 3:15 p.m.