LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The Covenant women's basketball team shrugged off a recent trend of cold shooting with their best shooting game of the year as the Scots downed USA South foe Huntingdon 74-70 on Saturday at Barnes PE Center.
Four players scored in double figures for Covenant (3-8, 1-3 USA South), who snapped a four-game losing streak in the process. Joanna Smith led all players with her fifth double-double of the year with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Smith also dished out a game-high five assists and registered two steals. Covenant shot 47.2 percent (25-of-53) for the game, the highest percentage this season, and held a 49-38 rebounding edge.
Kaley Hallmark tied a season-high with 14 points, while Alex Quimby came off the bench to score 11 points and collect four rebounds. Aleigha Williams scored 10 points and Rachel Price tallied nine points and 14 rebounds.
Covenant got off to a strong start in the opening period as the Scots rallied from a 12-7 deficit with a 10-3 scoring run to end the quarter with a 17-15 lead. Kate Patrick capped the period with a jumper, off a Bekah Walter assist, with 33 seconds left.
Covenant extended that lead to 35-28 in the second after a Hallmark jumper with 3:47 left. Huntingdon finished the half with a flurry as it went on a 12-2 run, highlighted by a Gabby George 3-pointer in the final seconds, to grab a 40-37 lead entering halftime.
The scoring run for the visiting Hawks continued into the third quarter. A Mackenzie Garmany 3-pointer with 7:27 left in the third gave Huntingdon a 48-37 advantage. Trailing 53-42, Covenant scored 11 straight, finished off by a Smith layup with 1:25 left in the period. Another Smith driving layup near the end of the quarter gave the Scots a 57-55 lead going into the fourth.
Huntingdon regained the lead in the fourth, but again Covenant answered. Down 66-63, Quimby buried a 3-pointer from the right corner followed by a jumper on the Scots' following possession to knot the score at 68 with 1:33 left.
Covenant held the Hawks on their next possession and Smith was later fouled and sank a pair of free throws for a 70-68 lead with 1:00 remaining. Another defensive stop was followed by two more made free throws from Price and Covenant would make two more from the foul line in the final 10 seconds to seal the win.
Garmany led Huntingdon (5-5, 0-3 USA South) with 18 points on six 3-pointers. Juliette Harp added a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Hawks shot just 35.1 percent (27-of-77) and 11-of-30 from 3-point land.
UP NEXT
The Scots will travel for their next four contests starting on Friday, Jan. 15 at William Peace. Tip-off in Raleigh, N.C. is set for 5:30 p.m.
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