MARYVILLE, Tenn. -- It was the battle of the Scots this afternoon, as the Covenant women's basketball team continued its USA South play at Maryville. Today's loss, 87-54, drops the visiting Scots to 0-5 in conference play (1-12 overall).
Cosette Kirsch led Covenant with 15 points. Fellow sophomore Ruthie Moore added 10 points and six rebounds, while Mary Elaine Mitchell scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds. Karis McIntosh also added eight points.
Maryville's hot shooting proved to be too much for Covenant, as they would hit 15 shots from 3-point land at 53.6 percent (15-of-28). Courtney Carruthers led Maryville with 25 points, hitting six from behind the arc. Elsa Echkenrod added 19, knocking down five 3-pointers.
Maryville started the game off hot, with three straight 3-pointers from Eckenrod. After jutting out to a 9-2 lead, the visiting Scots answered with two back-to-back threes of their own by Kirsch and Moore, cutting the lead to one at the 6:33 mark.
After coming within one point, though, Covenant would not score again until a made free throw by Kirsch with one second to go in the first quarter. During the scoring drought, Maryville would outscore the visiting Scots 11-0 and hit three 3-pointers.
The struggle to score continued for the Covenant Scots entering the second quarter down by 10. The team would only score 12 total points during the period, eight of which came from Kirsch.
Entering the second half trailing by 14 points, Covenant scored four points early off of a Destiny Mergilles free throw and a Mitchell 3-pointer to cut the lead to 10. After that, though, the scoring drought would continue once again, allowing the host Scots to pull away. Maryville would outscore Covenant 22-10 during the quarter, ending in a score of 58-32.
But Covenant refused to give up.
During the fourth period, the visiting Scots began to rally, scoring 22 points and shooting 50 percent from the floor and from 3-point land. McIntosh scored all eight of her points during the quarter.
However, Maryville would also put up impressive numbers, scoring 29 points during the period. Carruthers hit three from 3-point land and Eckenrod knocked down two of her own to finish out the fourth, making Covenant's rally too late.
Maryville improves to 3-0 against USA South opponents and 3-0 overall.
UP NEXT
Covenant will play tomorrow, January 30, against Maryville in Maryville, Tennessee. Tip-off is scheduled for 12pm EST.
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