LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Mitchell Hollis had a career-high 21 points and The Covenant men's basketball team used a strong first half to establish the lead over LaGrange and seal an 81-65 victory inside Barnes PE Center in USA South action on Friday night.
Covenant (2-3, 2-0 USA South) received 21 points from Hollis, while Will Crumly produced a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds. Hollis went 8-of-12 from the field with five 3-pointers and Crumly tallied three blocks and two steals to add to his double-double. James Mitchell hit five 3-pointers, adding 19 points.
The Scots led for the majority of the contest. A Crumly layup gave Covenant a 10-9 lead with 16:44 left in the first half, a lead that the Scots would maintain for the rest of the game. With 9:06 left in the half, Mitchell grabbed a steal for a breakaway and pulled up for the 3-pointer to put the Scots ahead 29-14. A Hollis 3-pointer and another from Mitchell gave the Scots a 17-point lead with 2:55 remaining in the half.
Covenant extended the lead to 20 after a Crumly block and a Mitchell 3-pointer with 2:14 on the clock. The Scots entered the half with a 45-24 advantage, thanks to seven 3-pointers and 48.5 percent shooting from the field.
Another Hollis 3-pointer started the second half scoring and made it 48-24. A William Bryan steal and easy layup for Hollis gave the Scots the largest lead of the game at 25 points, making it 52-27 with 17:05 remaining.
LaGrange (4-2, 1-1 USA South) cut the Covenant lead to 10 with 10:19 left to play, but the Scots responded with another 3-pointer from Mitchell. A 6-0 run put Covenant up by 20 again with 5:25 left as the Scots secured a second straight conference victory.
Bailey Spragg added nine points, five assists, and five rebounds in the win. Noah Oetjen came off the bench to contribute seven points and six rebounds. The Scots forced 20 turnovers, converting those to 22 points. Covenant shot 45.9 percent (28-of-61) from the field.
Gary Bishop led La Grange with 18 points and Jalen McCallum added a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Julian Cameron recorded 10 points and four rebounds for the Panthers. LaGrange connected on 38.2 percent (26-of-68) from the floor.
UP NEXT
Covenant will be back in Barnes PE Center tomorrow afternoon to face Huntingdon. The game is set for 4 p.m.
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