If the Methodist men’s basketball team wants to win its division and enter the USA South Conference tournament on a roll, it can’t afford to have another game like Friday night's.
The Monarchs sputtered out of the gate and fell far behind to a hot-shooting Covenant team. The slow start proved too much to overcome, and the Scots escaped the Riddle Center with a 92-88 victory.
“We came out flat and we don’t usually come out flat,” said senior guard Bryan Rouse. “When you do that against a good team, you pay for it.”
The Monarchs had everything in their favor: Home-court advantage, overall and conference records of 15-4 and 10-1, a senior-stacked lineup and a significant height edge. But that wasn’t enough to offset a first half in which Covenant shot 67.6 percent from the floor, including 57 percent from 3-point range.
For the game, the Scots shot 59.3 percent, in no small measure because of the play of 6-foot-5 Caleb Haynes — one of their few big men taller than 6-2 — who was 12 of 15 from the floor and finished with a game-high 26 points.
“We know every game we’re giving up size so we try to play faster, we try to control tempo and we have to shoot it well. We shot it great,” said Covenant coach Neal Young.
“We don’t shoot it like that every night and we knew we had to shoot it well. You knew they were probably going to control the boards, you knew they were going to get a lot done inside and get a lot done at the free-throw line, and the only way you’re able to counter that is to make those triples.”
Methodist never led and started out in an 18-6 hole. With Haynes killing the Monarchs in the paint and Bailey Spragg, Berto Dryden and James Mitchell draining 3-pointers with regularity, the Scots jacked the lead to 18 on two occasions. The Monarchs were only able to trim the deficit to 15 at the break.
“A bad first half,” Methodist coach David Smith said. “When you’re not playing any defense and they’re all lay-ups — and they’re a good 3-point-shooting team, so we’re concentrating on that.”
Rouse, who finished with 23 points, and E.E. Smith product Troynell Reese helped lead the Methodist rally. The Monarchs closed the gap to 74-70 when Rae Hall scored on back-to-back fast-break layups ignited by blocked shots by Jackson Whitley.
Covenant was able to boost the lead back to nine, 91-82, inside the final minute, and only a pair of late 3s by Davion Aybarreno made the final score close.
Spragg finished with 18 as Covenant improved 11-8, 6-5. Dryden added 16, Mitchell finished with a dozen, and Will Crumly had 10.
Methodist (15-5, 10-2) also placed five players in double figures .Reese produced 17, Ayabarreno 15, Whitley 13 and Hall 12.
The Monarchs return to action with a Wednesday home game against N.C. Wesleyan, which trails by one game in the loss column.
Sports editor Thomas Pope can be reached at tpope@fayobserver.com or 486-3520.
COVENANT 92, METHODIST 88
COVENANT (11-8, 6-5)
Dryden 6-16 2-3 16, Jauch 0-1 2-2 2, Spragg 8-9 0-0 18, Mitchell 4-9 0-0 12, Haynes 12-15 2-4 26, Hollis 0-0 0-0 0, Palmer 3-3 0-0 7, Bright 0-1 1-4, 1, Crumly 2-5 5-7 10. Totals 35-59 12-30 92.
METHODIST (15-5, 10-2)
Rouse 10-22 1-3 23, Ayabarreno 4-10 4-5 15, Hall 5-7 2-3 12, Reese 7-14 3-5 17, Whitley 4-5 5-8 13, Everett 1-1 0-0 2, Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Dearman 2-3 2-2 6, Deal 0-0 0-0 0, Carlton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-62 17-26 88.
Halftime—Covenant, 55-40. 3-Point Goals—Covenant 10-22 (Dryden 2-8, Spragg 2-2, Mitchell 4-8, Palmer 1-1, Bright 0-1, Crumly 1-2), Methodist 5-17 (Rouse 2-8, Ayabarreno 3-6, Reese 0-3). Rebounds—Covenant 30 (Haynes 8), Methodist 32 (Reese 8). Assist—Covenant 19 (Spragg 6), Methodist 13 (Hall 4). Total fouls—Covenant 23, Methodist 15. Fouled out—Spragg. Technical fouls—None. A—316.