LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- The Maryville men's basketball team continued its dominant run against Covenant on Tuesday night, pulling away in the second half for a 96-84 road victory inside Barnes Physical Education Center.
This victory moves the Scots to 15-4 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the CCS, while Covenant drops to 5-12 on the season and 2-4 in league action. Maryville improved to 35-9 all-time against Covenant, extending its winning streak in the series to seven games and remaining unbeaten versus Covenant since January of 2022. Over the span of their games, Maryville has averaged 80.5 points per game against Covenant.
Chase Morgan led all scorers with 28 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, and two steals to pace Maryville. Matt Schneider followed with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Jamal Ware chipped in 16 points and four steals. Freshman Jett Sutton provided a spark off the bench with eight points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals. As a team, Maryville totaled 25 assists on 38 made field goals.
The opening half featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain much separation. Covenant led by as many as four early on, but Maryville answered behind strong interior play from Morgan and Schneider. A Sutton three-pointer midway through the half helped swing momentum, and Ware added key buckets inside as the Scots edged ahead. Despite a late Covenant basket, Maryville went into the break trailing by just one, 40–39.
"At halftime we spoke about having poise and coming out of the half playing our brand of basketball in the first four to five minutes," head coach Raul Placeres said. "Credit to them - they played a great first half but were only up one."
Maryville wasted no time taking control after halftime. Schneider scored on consecutive possessions to open the half, and a Jackson Garner fast-break three ignited a run that gave the Scots the lead for good. Ware continued to attack the paint, while Morgan asserted himself offensively, consistently finishing through contact.
"I challenged Matt personally at the half," Placeres said. "He was not his best defensively in the first half, but I loved the way he responded. Another key player tonight was Jamal Ware - his energy, skill, and defensive tenacity are attributes that are needed for winning."
The Scots stretched the lead to double figures midway through the second half and never looked back. Three-pointers from Schneider and Sutton, combined with crisp ball movement and defensive pressure, allowed Maryville to build a cushion as large as 17. Covenant made several pushes, but each was met with timely answers from the Scots.
"We work on making the extra pass and being an unselfish team in practice each and every day," Placeres said. "The fellas know we become our habits. The great thing is that we can move it and share it even better."
Placeres also praised Sutton's performance in a tough road environment.
"I'm really proud of Jett Sutton," he added. "The freshman had his best collegiate game of the year in the most hostile environment. He has such a great future in our program."
Maryville is back in action Saturday, January 31, taking on the LaGrange Panthers inside Cooper Athletic Center at 4:00 PM.
