BREVARD, N.C. – Covenant used a well-balanced offensive attack, with four players recording double-digit points on the game to beat Brevard 83-69 on Saturday afternoon.
Patjo Twagirayezu and Berto Dryden led the way for the Scots with 17 points each, followed by Caleb Haynes (13) and Bailey Spragg (12).
For the Tornados, JaMarquis Johnson led all scorers with 24 points, as he knocked down 5-of-8 3-pointers in the game. Stevie Williams also finished the game in double-figures with 16 points. The sophomore guard has now topped double figures in his last four contests, eclipsing 20 in the last two outings.
At the beginning of the second half, Brevard tied the game at the 18:58 mark with a layup from Williams to notch the score at 42 each.
After an 8-4 run by the Scots, Jakob Bergen connected with Williams on a back-door cut for the dunk to make the score 50-48 in favor of Covenant with 15:05 remaining in the game.
Brevard would hit their only 3-pointer of the second half with 9:08 remaining from Johnson, his fifth trey of the contest to make the score 61-57.
The Scots would close out the final nine minutes of action on a 22-12 run, with contributions from five different players. Twagirayezu and Berto Dryden led the Scots with five points each in the last nine minutes of the game.
Johnson provided the Tornados with a lift off the bench, scoring 16 points in the first half as the two teams were separated by just two points. Johnson knocked down 5-of-7 from the floor, converting four 3-pointers along the way, to lead the way for a Brevard unit that finished 13-of-25 (52%) in the frame.
Joining Johnson among the offensive leaders in the first half was Williams, who scored 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field.
Six consecutive points by Will Crumly along with two early 3-pointers allowed Covenant to establish a 17-9 lead at the 14:17 mark of the contest. Levi Lamb halted the 6-0 run with a trey and Carson followed with a series of free throws to eventually cut the margin to one.
A three-point play by Johnson, who drew a foul from Mitchell Hollis, brought the game to a 19-all deadlock. Brevard kept its run intact with a layup by Williams and a free throw from Johnson, making for a 22-19 lead at the halfway mark.
Twagirayezu scored four of the next 18 points for the Scots, who put together an 18-3 run, as Covenant assumed a 37-25 advantage with 3:23 remaining. It was there that Johnson caught fire, draining three from long distance, and along with contributions from Williams and Bergen the Tornados trailed by two at the break.
The Tornados have a quick turnaround this weekend, facing Methodist in a 2 p.m. contest on Sunday at Boshamer Gym.
