NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Chris Barnette's free throw with 4.2 seconds left gave the Covenant men's basketball team a 55-54 victory over Division II Trevecca Nazarene on Friday night inside Trojan Fieldhouse.
Covenant (3-1), which won its third straight, led for nearly the entire game before Trevecca (0-3) rallied back and tied the game at 54-54 on two Brendan Newton free throws with 29.8 seconds remaining. On the Scots' next possession, Barnette was fouled while taking a mid-range jumper with 4.2 seconds to go. The junior hit the first free throw to give Covenant a one-point lead before missing the second.
Trevecca had one last chance with 3.8 seconds left and needing to go the length of the court. The host Trojans worked the ball up the floor, but Chris Rogers stepped out of bounds prior to launching a 3-pointer as time expired.
Barnette finished with 13 points and five rebounds. It is the fourth time in his Covenant career he has made a game-winning shot (field goal or free throw) in the final five seconds. Luke Touliatos led the Scots with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, while Will Crumly had 10 points and two rebounds. Brady Palmer scored all eight of his points in the first half.
Covenant started a little sluggish on offense early but went on a 19-4 run to grab a 19-7 lead after a Palmer layup off a Zack Allen assist with 7:35 left in the first. The lead extended to 14 (29-15) on a Crumly 3-pointer with 2:05 remaining, but Trevecca ended the half on a 7-0 run to trim it to 29-22.
The Scots maintained a slim lead for most of the second half and used a 7-0 run to take a 49-38 lead with 8:42 left. Crumly banked in a 3-pointer to cap that run, while Barnette and Daevon Platt also scored during the stretch.
Trevecca would not go quietly and went on a 10-1 run over the next six minutes to get within 50-48 after a Newton free throw with 2:50 left. The Trojans utilized Newton, a 7-foot-2 transfer from Liberty, down the stretch to tie the score as he scored all six of Trevecca's final points.
Newton tied the score for the first time at 52-52 after a dunk, but Barnette answered with a bucket of his own with 41 seconds left. On its ensuing possession, Trevecca went right back to Newton who was fouled. Newton sank both free throws with 29.8 seconds left to set up the final plays.
Newton finished with 16 points to lead Trevecca. Jaylon Tharpe had 13 points and Austin Wills 11. Trevecca shot 33.9 percent (20-of-59) from the field and just 6-of-19 from deep.
Covenant ended the night connecting on 42 percent (21-of-50) and 6-of-17 from 3-point land. Jackson Fitzgerald led Covenant with seven rebounds and two steals, while Promise Igbanu had six rebounds.
UP NEXT
Covenant will take on Division I member Middle Tennessee State in an exhibition game on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CST (5 p.m. EST) inside the Murphy Center. The game can be seen on CUSA.tv
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