Men's Basketball Shuts out Covenant

Maryville, Tenn. -- The Maryville men's basketball team delivered an impressive performance on Tuesday night, never trailing on the way to a 98-73 victory over Covenant inside Cooper Athletic Center on Randy Lambert Court.

The win pushed the Scots to 17-4 overall and a perfect 8-0 in conference play, while Covenant fell to 8-14 on the season and 3-6 in the CCS. Maryville led from the first basket to finish, and stretched the margin to as many as 30 points behind relentless defense, efficient ball movement, and balanced scoring. 

"I loved our disposition to start the game," head coach Raul Placeres said. "That was important for us. When we played at their place earlier in the year, we didn't play to our standard. Tonight, from the jump, we showed what our standard of play is."

Chase Morgan and Matt Schneider paced the Scots with 20 points apiece. Morgan added nine rebounds and two assists, while Schneider chipped in nine boards and three steals. Jackson Garner followed with 17 points, knocking down five three-pointers, and Jaylon Green provided a spark off the bench with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Jett Sutton and Collin Smith each added eight points and Maryville finished with 29 points.

Maryville wasted no time setting the tone, opening the contest on a 12–0 run fueled by Garner, Scneider, Morgan, and Javi Rosell. The Scots' defensive pressure forced early turnovers and led to easy baskets, helping Maryville build a commanding first-half advantage. Despite a brief lull midway through the half, the Scots regained momentum and carried a 51–29 lead into the locker room.

"We had all the momentum early, and it stalled a bit, but I thought our response was really good," Placeres said. "To be up 22 at halftime, that's a great position to be in. We came out and played pretty darn good defense to start the second half."

The Scots maintained control after the break, continuing to attack the paint and move the ball unselfishly. Garner and Green connected from deep, Morgan finished through contact, and Smith added energy on both ends as Maryville steadily extended its lead.

"For us, February is a championship month," Placeres said. "This is when you win conference championships. I thought we put it together tonight. We had 23 assists, 23 offensive rebounds, forced 18 turnovers, and scored 27 points off those turnovers. When you look at the numbers, everything — besides maybe free throws — was exceptional."

Maryville's defense also held Covenant in check, limiting the visitors' top three scorers to below their season averages while controlling the glass with a 52–37 rebounding advantage.

"We talk a lot about defending the other team's top players," Placeres said. "Their top three guys average close to 40 points a game, and we held them below that. Bench points were big too — almost 30 points from our bench. That takes pressure off our big three who carry such a heavy load."

Placeres also highlighted several individual efforts beyond the stat sheet.

"Jaylon Green was really good tonight — he shot with great confidence," he said. "Jett Sutton continues to elevate his game at the right time, and Collin Smith gave us great minutes with his energy and defense. And it was really special to see Jalen McCullough score his first collegiate points. We went wild in the locker room for him."

The Scots are back in action Saturday, February 7 at 4:00 PM CT, taking on the Blazers of Belhaven.