LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Mary Elaine Mitchell tied a Covenant women's basketball program record with 10 3-pointers and scored a career-high 32 points with 13 rebounds, but the Scots could not overcome visiting Birmingham Southern in a 92-89 loss on Thursday afternoon inside Barnes PE Center.
Mitchell went 10-of-20 from deep, tying Emma Grimes' single-game record that was set in 2018 vs. LaGrange. The freshman hit five 3-pointers in both halves to give Covenant (0-7) a chance at the end.
Covenant led for over 31 minutes of the game, but for a second time this season it was a fourth quarter surge that propelled Birmingham Southern (2-3) over the Scots. Covenant led 71-67 with 6:44 left, but the visiting Panthers used a 12-2 run to take a 79-73 lead with 4:36 left.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Mitchell tied the score at 79-79 with 4:01 remaining. Covenant briefly regained the lead at 83-82 after a Madison Blevins jumper with 1:58 left, but Josie Wannemuehler answered on BSC's next possession to give the Panthers an 84-83 edge with 1:46 left.
BSC pulled ahead by five (88-83) with 33 seconds left and, despite Mitchell draining another 3-pointer with 23 seconds to go, the Scots would not have a chance to tie or take the lead.
Destiny Mergilles produced her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Ruthie Moore also totaled a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds to go along with eight assists. Cosette Kirsch just missed a triple-double with nine points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Blevins added seven points and six rebounds off the bench.
The two teams combined for 195 shot attempts. The Scots shot 35 percent (35-for-100), while BSC connected on 29.5 percent (28-of-95).
Covenant held a 77-69 edge in rebounding, as the Scots set a single-game program record with 77 rebounds.
The Scots came out firing in the first quarter as Mitchell hit a pair of 3-pointers to help the Scots take a 26-17 lead into the second. Covenant took its largest lead of the game at 28-17 as Kirsch made a driving layup to open the second quarter.
Covenant led 44-36 at the break and extended that lead back to 11 (47-36) on a Mitchell 3-pointer early in the third. Even though the Scots led for the entire third quarter, BSC trimmed the margin to just two (61-59) entering the fourth.
Ryane Williams had 15 points for BSC, while Leah Middleton and Brooke Westhoelter had 14 apiece.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
Covenant will host Bob Jones on Saturday at 3 p.m. inside Barnes PE Center.
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