LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The fourth-seeded Brevard College men's basketball team (8-16) fell 78-49 to no. 1 seed and host Covenant (17-6) in the First Round of the USA South Conference Tournament on Tuesday night in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. The matchup marked the first-ever trip to the USA South Conference and the first postseason appearance for the Tornados since 2015.
Junior Chancey Watson led Brevard with 11 points, all coming in the second half, as nine different Tornados found the scoring column in the defeat. Sophomore LB Boyette also scored in double figures with ten points.
Senior Alex Wesig contributed in several departments with eight points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Sophomore Charles Reed dished out four assists and recorded two steals, while sophomore Carson Evans and freshman Garrett Sutherland each grabbed a team-high four rebounds.
The top-seeded Scots were led by center Will Crumly who scored 22 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Covenant's Chris Barnette registered 13 points and seven rebounds, while Myles Jones dropped 11 points on three 3-pointers.
Off the opening tip, Boyette stole the ball after the Scots had gained the initial possession. Boyette then immediately found David Sealy on a fast break to give BC its first points in a USA South Conference tournament game.
A jumper by Wesig after two minutes of play gave Brevard a 4-2 lead, however, it would mark the last lead of the contest for the Tornados. A 12-0 run gave the Scots a 25-9 lead at the 9:53 mark of the first half to open up the scoring gap. Covenant would go on to maintain a double-digit lead through the opening stanza, taking a 38-20 lead into the break.
Covenant continued to lead by double digits throughout the second half as well. A Watson 3-pointer made the score 55-40 with 9:08 to play, yet the Scots responded with a 9-2 run to stretch the lead to 22. Covenant would continue their advantage through the final whistle, winning the First Round game and advancing to the conference semifinals to face East Division no. 2 seed N.C. Wesleyan on Friday.
The Scots shot an efficient 50% from the floor and 8-of-17 (47%) from behind the arc. Covenant made nine more free throws in 18 more attempts than BC from the stripe.
The Tornados, under the direction of Head Coach Lee Burgess and Assistant Coach Miles Leathers, finish the season with the program's most single-season victories since BC won 12 games en route to a South Atlantic Conference tournament bid in 2014-15.
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-BC-