HAMBURG, N.Y. - The day after opening its season, Covenant was right back at it, taking on tournament hosts, Hilbert College, in the Hawks vs Hunger Tip-Off. The Scots' offense was in better form today, scoring 99 points; however, they didn't get the stops they needed on defense as they fell to the Hawks 111-99. 

Final: Covenant 99, Hilbert 111
Records: Covenant (0-2), Hilbert (1-1)

For much of the early goings, Covenant and Hilbert went back-and-forth before a 12-0 scoring run by the home team put it ahead 32-19. The Scots were battling for much of the remainder of the half to try and cut into the lead. 

3-pointers from Fisher Mitchell and Ethan Parker cut the lead back to three points with 2:07 remaining before halftime. The Hawks scored twice in the final minute to move back up by nine before a fast break basket by Isaac Rorey with six seconds left put the score at 61-54 at the intermission. 

A Noah Pence triple put the Scots within one point, less than two minutes after the game started back. The score remained with a few points for several minutes before Hilbert went on a 7-0 run, capped off by a triple to put the score at 86-77. 

Later in the game, Covenant went scoreless at the wrong time, for nearly four minutes, allowing Hilbert to extend its lead to 101-82 with just under six minutes remaining. The Scots played until the final whistle, as a triple from Korbin Long cut the lead to 10 points in the final minute of the game. 

Covenant had four players in double figures offensively: Luuk Dusek (15 points), Pierce Smith (14 points), Korbin Long (10 points), Fisher Mitchell (10 points).  After the game ended, Smith was named to the Hawk vs Hunger Tip-Off All-Tournament Team. 

Hilbert had a big advantage on the glass, outrebounding Covenant 60-40. The shooting numbers were in Hilbert's favor too, as it was 60.5% (46-76) from the field while Covenant was 36.8% (35-95). Additionally, Hilbert was 42.9% (6-14) shooting 3-pointers and 81.3% (13-16) at the free-throw line, while Covenant was 27% (10-37) and 57.6% (19-33) in the same categories. 

One of the stats that was significantly in Covenant's favor was turnovers, forcing 27 of them and only turning the ball over 13 times itself. The Scots scored 31 points off those turnovers. 

This was the first meeting between the two schools, as Hilbert now leads the series 1-0. 

UP NEXT: Covenant plays Spalding on Friday at Sewanee in the Lon Varnell Classic. 

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