LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- The Covenant men's basketball team has had a knack this season for turning in tremendous second half performances. Saturday's final 20 minutes was no different.
Berto Dryden scored 16 second half points and Chris Boyd added 10 to lead the Scots past Huntingdon 89-82 in a key USA South victory inside Barnes PE Center on Saturday afternoon.
Covenant (7-6, 2-1 USA South) shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field with five 3-pointers and 17-of-23 from the foul line in the second half to erase a slim halftime deficit. Dryden finished with 18 points to lead the way, while Boyd scored 16 points with nine rebounds coming off the bench. TJ Cox registered 15 points with seven rebounds and five assists and Patjo Twagirayezucontributed six points, seven rebounds and five assists in the victory.
Daniel Garrett had nine points and three rebounds off the bench and Bailey Spragg tallied six points, five assists and four rebounds in the victory.
The victory is the second straight for the Scots as they are now one of five teams with two conference wins in the USA South.
The first half went back-and-forth as the teams traded the lead throughout the period. Covenant scored seven straight with a Dryden jumper, a Robby Bell 3-pointer and a Daniel Garrett offensive rebound and putback for a 36-34 lead with 1:38 left. Huntingdon grabbed a 39-37 lead heading into halftime after John Coley's jumper with a minute left.
Dryden buried consecutive 3-pointers to open the second half and Covenant would not relinquish the lead again. The Scots went on an 8-0 run in just under two minutes of game time midway through the half to extend the lead to 67-53, their largest of the game with 10:58 left. Boyd had four points during the stretch.
Huntingdon got as close as five later the in the half, by a Cox 3-pointer brought the lead back to eight (80-72) with 3:58 remaining. Covenant put the game out of reach by making 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute.
Andre Ashley led Huntingdon (6-5, 1-2 USA South) with 20 points to go with seven rebounds. Brandon McLean had 12 points, while RJ Jones and Austin Washington had 11 points apiece. The Hawks connected on 39.2 percent (31-of-79) from the field and were held to 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from 3-point distance.
Covenant held a 44-41 edge in rebounding. The Scots shot 50 percent (30-of-60) from the floor, the third time this season Covenant has shot at least 50 percent, with 10 3-pointers and a 19-for-26 effort from the foul line.