As the opening week of the season comes to a close for the Covenant men's basketball team, they hold a record of 1-2. Taking on opponents Asbury, Oglethorpe, and Sewanee, Covenant begins the year by facing strong, non-conference match-ups on the road. With only nine of twenty-six games this season scheduled for home, the Scots will need to quickly become accustomed to away conditions.
As first-year head coach Josh Brown's inaugural season begins, the Scots lineup is almost entirely different than the season prior. Featuring only two players from with an average over 20 minutes played per game last season, upperclassmen Promise Igbanu (23.4 avg. min.) and Jonathan Gernatt (25.7 avg. min.), the Scots will utilize a lot of relatively inexperienced players in this year's campaign. With nearly the entire roster already receiving minutes played in the opening three games, Coach Brown looks to be getting as many young talents involved as possible.
In the season opener at Asbury, the Scots could not come away with a win. Covenant was defeated 69-83. Historically, this is the Scots' third loss to the Eagles in the five matches played between the two teams. Out-scored in both halves, the Scots were unable to keep up with the Eagles' offense, despite both teams putting forth a strong defensive front.
Asbury led for the entirety of the game, securing the momentum early and maintaining for all forty minutes played. However, the Scots posted an impressive 50.9% field goal percentage for the game. Covenant was also able to chip away at the Eagles' lead, bringing the score as close as 56-58 with only eight minutes remaining in the contest.
The Scots offense featured major scoring from Freshman Guard Malcolm Noel as he led Covenant with 19 points and three assists. Senior Forward Promise Igbanu added 17 points of his own in addition to Charlie Hester who ended the game with 11 total points. Hester and Igbanu also led in rebounds with five and four total rebounds, respectively.
In the matchup between Covenant and Oglethorpe on November 11, the Scots found themselves struggling to get any offensive rhythm as they fell 47-65 to the Stormy Petrols. Covenant's offense was led by the efforts of Charlie Hester with 11, as he finished the game with ten rebounds and his first double-double of the season. Promise Igbanu finished with another solid stat line, ending with eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists. The Scots did not shoot nearly as well from the field in this game, hitting only 30.9% of their total field goal attempts and 25% of their three-point shots.
Although Covenant held all but one of the Stormy Petrols to under double-digit points, the twenty points allowed off of turnovers made the efforts of Oglethorpe much easier. The back-to-back losses for the Scots made for a tough start for the season, but as non-conference games, the defeats do not hurt Covenant's Collegiate Conference of the South post-season goals.
To round out the opening week of action for Covenant Men's Basketball, the Scots took on the Sewanee Tigers this evening (Saturday, November 12) for the twenty-first all-time matchup between the two institutions. Historically speaking, Covenant entered tonight's contest having won the previous two match-ups against the Tigers and were looking to claim the third in row. The Scots were also looking to claim their first victory of the 2022-2023 season. In an incredible road performance, the Scots secured just what they were searching for after a 77-67 victory over the Tigers.
The Scots continued their newly-adopted style of play by spreading the offensive opportunities across the floor, opening up shots to every player who entered the game. Promise Igbanu and Jonathan Gernatt were driving forces of the win as they each ended the contest with 23 points a-piece. Gernatt tacked on four rebounds and an assist while Igbanu secured the double-double by pulling down eleven rebounds and adding three assists. Malcolm Noel also continued his hot start to the season with 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the game.
The game started and continued in favor of the Scots, as an 8-0 run following tip-off, including six points by Promise Igbanu, set the tone for how the contest would play out. The two squads would trade periods of offensive dominance, matching each other in momentum swings. Another one of Covenant's runs during the game, which was capped off by a three-point basket from Charlie Hester, closed out the first half and sent the Scots into halftime with a 34-27 lead.
The second half followed suit and consisted of each team owning the court for a few minutes at a time. However, Covenant was able to establish their momentum and build a comfortable lead of 15 points with three minutes left play. Despite efforts from the Tigers to foul and climb back into the contest, the Scots held their ground. Covenant carried the momentum into the final buzzer, resulting in a final score of 77-67.
The next matchup for the Scots will come Wednesday, November 16 at 7:30 PM, as they take on Centre in Danville, Kentucky for another road game.
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