SALEM, Va. -- Will Crumly surpassed 1,800 career points with his game-high 21 points, but the Covenant men's basketball team could not overcome Buena Vista in a 72-65 setback at the Cregger Invitational in Salem on Thursday afternoon.

Crumly became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,800 career points, and the first since Nathan Unruh '95 reached the plateau in the 1994-95 season. Crumly had 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting with five rebounds.

Covenant (6-4) was unable to dig out of an early deficit in the first all-time meeting with Buena Vista (5-7). The Scots trailed 16-2 in the first five minutes of the contest and never led as Buena Vista took a 49-32 lead at the half after making nine 3-pointers.

The Scots used a 10-2 run in the second half to trim a 15-point deficit to seven (57-50) with 7:33 remaining as Myles Jones connected on a 3-pointer. A Chris Barnette jumper with 5:22 left in the game kept Covenant within seven at 61-54. Two minutes later, a Barnette triple followed by a Brady Palmer layup trimmed the deficit to 64-60 with 2:42 remaining.

Buena Vista answered with five straight points on two possessions to extend the margin back to nine and the Scots would not get closer than seven the rest of the way.

Barnette notched a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to go with three assists and two steals. Promise Igbanu followed with 12 points and four rebounds, while Palmer finished with 10 points. Jackson Fitzgerald dished out five assists and grabbed three rebounds.

Covenant shot 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the field, but made just four 3-pointers (16.7 percent). The Scots held a 42-30 edge in rebounding and had 13 second-chance points.

Buena Vista was led by Michael Demers' 18 points and five steals. The Beavers made 11 3-pointers and shot 43.3 percent (26-of-60) for the game.

UP NEXT

Covenant returns to USA South action on Wednesday at Piedmont. Tip-off in Demorest, Ga., is set for 6:30 p.m.

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