LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- It wasn't the prettiest game, but that doesn't matter in postseason play.

Will Crumly had 22 points and the No. 1 West seeded Covenant men's basketball team fought off a pesky Brevard squad to advance to the USA South Tournament semifinals with a 78-49 victory on Tuesday night inside Barnes PE Center.

The road to the NCAA Tournament will come through Barnes PE Center as Covenant will host the semifinals and championship this weekend. The Scots will take on No. 2 East seed N.C. Wesleyan on Friday at 7 p.m., after No. 3 West seed LaGrange faces No. 1 East seed Averett at 5 p.m.

Crumly added nine rebounds to his 22-point effort, while Chris Barnette had 13 points and seven boards. Myles Jones hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points, and Promise Igbanu tallied nine points, five rebounds, and four assists. Jackson Fitzgerald also had four assists to go with seven rebounds.

Covenant shot 50 percent (26-of-54) from the field with eight 3-pointers, but had to work hard for clean shot attempts through the No. 4 seeded Tornados zone. Triples from Jones and Logan Pearlman early in the first half gave Covenant a 13-7 lead. The Scots then rattled off a 12-0 run, capped by a Barnette layup, to take a commanding 25-9 lead with 9:53 left in the first half.

The Scots led by 20 later in the half and took a 38-20 lead into halftime.

Covenant methodically extended the lead in the second half. After Brevard cut the margin to 15 (53-38) with 10:54 left, the Scots built the lead back to 23 (65-42) after an Igbanu free throw with 3:46 left. Covenant led by as many as 29 in the game.

Pearlman and Jonathan Gernatt had five points each for the Scots, while Michael St. Germain and Eli Witt both hit 3-pointers late in the game.

Brevard (8-16) shot 33.3 percent (19-of-57) from the field and limited to only 4-of-24 from deep. The Tornados got 11 points from Chancey Watson.

UP NEXT

Covenant hosts N.C. Wesleyan in the semifinal round on Friday at 7 p.m.

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