LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Down 14 in the second half, the No. 1 seeded Covenant men's basketball team clamped down defensively and rallied back for a 58-53 win over No. 2 East seed N.C. Wesleyan in a USA South Tournament semifinal on Friday evening inside Barnes PE Center.

Covenant (18-6) will play No. 1 East seed Averett on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the USA South Tournament championship game, with the winner receiving the conference automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Scots are seeking their first tournament title since 2016, while Averett hasn't won since 2009.

Trailing by six at the half, Covenant saw that deficit grow in the early minutes of the second half. USA South Player of the Year Damon McDowell drained a 3-pointer with 18:18 left to giving the visiting Bishops a 38-27 lead. N.C. Wesleyan extended the lead to 14 (41-27) as a Kyron Kelly free throw capped the Bishops' 8-0 run to start the second half.

Like so many times under head coach Neal Young, the Scots made a push and got back in the contest.

Brady Palmer's 3-pointer with 8:05 left in the second half capped a 15-2 run for the Scots and evened the score at 45 apiece. The stretch continued as Palmer delivered a layup to give the Scots a 48-45 lead with 6:27 remaining.

N.C. Wesleyan (19-8) was held without a made field goal for over 12 minutes of the second half as the Scots made life tough on McDowell and Isaiah Lewis, forcing the tandem into difficult shots.

Holding a four-point lead (55-51) with under a minute left, Chris Barnette produced the dagger. As the shot clock wound down, Barnette hit a turnaround jumper from just inside the 3-point line to give the Scots a 57-51 lead with 40 seconds left.

Barnette finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Will Crumly also had 15 points with eight rebounds. Promise Igbanu and Palmer each had 12, with Igbanu dishing out three assists with eight rebounds. 

McDowell led the Bishops with 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting, while Lewis had 16 points and eight rebounds.

UP NEXT

Covenant hosts Averett for the USA South Tournament title at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

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