Box Score Maryville College opened USA South play on Tuesday night, as the Covenant College Scots took the conference opener with a 79-58 victory.
MC struggled offensively on the night, as the Orange and Garnet shot just 27.3 percent from the floor. Maryville bucketed just five 3-pointers on the night, as Covenant managed 11.
The Georgian Scots posted a 50 percent effort on the night, as the USA South foe was a different team in each half. In the first 20 minutes, Covenant went 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) from beyond the arc, before going inside during the second half.
Covenant managed 20 points in the paint during the second half – 32 on the night – while Maryville was held to just 20 points in the paint for the game.
MC jumped to a 3-0 lead with a Dante Hoppa trey at the 18:39 mark of the first half, as Covenant would chip away.
Back-to-back treys by James Mitchell and Noah Oetjen just before the third media timeout gave the Georgian Scots a 17-point lead, 31-14.
MC's Trevor Gaines-Perry helped the Scots chip away at the lead late in the second, as he posted five points and five rebounds in 5:44. Covenant took a 41-26 lead to the half, as they held on for the 79-58 victory.
Maryville College (1-4, 0-1 USA South) was led by Hoppa's 14-point effort. He had five rebounds and two steals on the night, while Calvin Songster added eight points. Joshua Brooks, J.P. McGhee and J.R. Sanders had six points each, while Sanders added a trio of assists.
Gaines-Perry had five points and five assists, while Emanuelle Garcia had five points with a trey. Daquan Summers added four points, as Danterrius Bray and Emier Bowman had two points each.
Maryville shot 18-of-66 (27.3 percent) from the floor, as they had five treys at a 26.3 percent effort. MC went 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) at the charity stripe, as they outrebounded Covenant, 46-36.
Covenant (1-3, 1-0) shot 50 percent from the floor (28-of-56), as they totaled 11 treys. The Georgian Scots shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line, as four different players scored double figures.
Will Crumly led all scorers with 28 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and a steal, while Mitchell added 16 points on four treys. Oetjen had 13 points, while Bailey Spragg neared a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Maryville will return to USA South action this weekend, as they travel to North Carolina. MC takes on Greensboro College on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m., before they face off with Methodist University on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m.
