The Covenant women's basketball team rallied from a fourth quarter deficit to force overtime, but visiting Birmingham Southern took over in the extra period for a 70-60 victory over the Scots on Saturday evening inside Barnes PE Center.
Emma Grimes led three Covenant (4-2) players in double figure scoring with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Aleigha Williams added 15 points and three steals, while Joanna Smith registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Rachel Price contributed eight points and six rebounds.
Covenant trailed 41-37 heading into the fourth quarter and fell behind by as many as seven in the period before making a run.
Down 52-46 with 4:27 left, Williams and Smith made consecutive baskets to cut the Scots' deficit to 52-50 with 3:30 remaining. Covenant still trailed 55-52 with under two minutes to play, but a clutch 3-pointer from Kaley Hallmark knotted the score at 55 apiece. Both teams had chances in the final minute and came up empty.
In overtime, Birmingham Southern scored the first three points to grab a 58-55 lead, but the Scots responded. Price converted a layup and a Grimes 3-pointer gave Covenant a 60-58 lead with 2:39 remaining. Down the stretch, the visiting Panthers made the plays, though, as a Christian McGowan 3-pointer extended a slim Birmingham Southern lead into a 66-60 game with 48 seconds left. The Panthers made all four of their free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the win.
Camillia Carter had a game-high 23 points for Birmingham Southern (3-5). Jameice Holmes added 17 points and four assists and Emile Olson recorded 11 rebounds with six points. The Panthers shot 39.6 percent (21-of-53) from the field, but made 21-of-29 at the foul line.
Covenant shot just 26.7 percent in the first and fell behind 15-10 after the quarter. The Scots trailed 22-12 with four minutes left in the second period before rattling off 13 straight points to take a 25-22 lead into halftime. Grimes made two 3-pointers during the run and a Williams layup in the waning seconds gave the Scots a three-point edge.
Birmingham Southern would outscore Covenant 19-12 in the third period to grab the lead back at 41-37 heading into the fourth.
The Scots shot 32.9 percent (23-of-70) from the field and outrebounded the Panthers 43-40. Covenant had 17 offensive rebounds on the night.