HENDERSON, Tenn. -- Cold shooting hampered the Covenant women's basketball team's chances at traditional NAIA power Freed-Hardeman in a 63-33 loss on Saturday afternoon inside the Brewer Sports Center.
Cosette Kirsch was the only Covenant (0-5) player in double figures as she scored 11 points to go with four rebounds in the loss. Destiny Mergilles had eight points, four rebounds, and two steals while Madison Blevins and Mary Elaine Mitchell had five points apiece.
It was the third all-time meeting between Covenant and Freed-Hardeman (7-5), but the first since 1995.
Covenant got on the board first with a Mergilles bucket early in the first quarter before FHU went on an 11-0 run. Mitchell, making her collegiate debut, drained a 3-pointer late in the period to get the Scots within 11-5 at the end of the first.
The cold shooting continued throughout the contest for Covenant. The Scots hit just 4-of-20 from the field in the first half and fell behind by 18 (31-13) at the break.
The Scots had their biggest scoring output in the fourth quarter as four different players scored in the stanza. Kirsch had four points and Blevins three in the quarter, but the Scots could not chip away at the margin.
Covenant finished the game connecting on 23.9 percent (11-of-46) from the field with one 3-pointer. The Scots made 10-of-11 at the foul line as Tori Caldwell went 4-for-4. Ruthie Moore led the Scots with seven rebounds as Covenant held a 29-26 edge on the glass.
FHU received a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds from Alyssa LeMay. The host Lions also got 14 points from KJ White and 11 off the bench from Hannah Hughes. FHU shot 50 percent (21-of-42) for the game and 12-of-15 at the foul line.
UP NEXT
Covenant will continue its road trip in West Tennessee on Monday against NAIA-ranked No. 24 Bethel (Tenn.) in McKenzie, Tenn. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. CST (6:30 p.m. EST).
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