LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. — The Averett University women's basketball team pulled out a 70-67 comeback win over conference foe Covenant College on Friday evening at the Barnes PE Center.
 
Averett (11-8, 6-5 USA South) trailed 65-63 with just 44 seconds to go in regulation, but sophomore guard Joelle Deese sank a 3-pointer on a feed from senior guard Jessica Myers to put the Cougars up by one. Deese came up big for her squad again, knocking down two free throws with 27 seconds on the clock to extend the Cougars' lead to 68-65. This time, Covenant (7-11, 4-6 USA South) answered with a layup from Kaley Hallmark, and the Cougars found themselves ahead again only by one at the 10-second mark.
 
Just three seconds later, Averett Junior guard Ariana Covington was sent to the line on a foul from Hallmark, and she hit both shots, giving the Cougars a three-point advantage. The Scots had a chance to tie the game with a triple, but Averett's defense, that finished with 19 steals, locked down Covenant's offense. The Scots' Aleigha Williams attempted a shot from behind the arc, but Covington blocked it, taking away Covenant's chance of sending the game into overtime.
 
The comeback started with big stops on defense that led to opportunities on the other end.
 
"The team battled in the second half and never gave up," head coach Liz Hickey said. "And Jess wasn't just our leading scorer, she also had several steals in our press. It was high energy and very exciting."
 
Myers finished with a career-high of eight steals and a game-high of 21 points and eight rebounds. Covenant led by as much as 18 in the second quarter, but Myers' steals helped the Cougars score 30 points off the Scots' turnovers.
 
Averett began inching its way back midway through the third quarter when Myers put up seven straight points to close Covenant's lead to nine. In the fourth period, Myers found senior forward Oneka Jones in the paint for lay-in to tightened the gap at 53-50, and the Cougars took their first lead of the game on a shot from sophomore guard Frida Lunquist with 1:47 remaining to help Averett register 25 points in the fourth quarter and clinch the victory on the road.  
 
Lundquist notched 11 points while Covington and Jones notched 10 points apiece, Jones also hauled in seven rebounds as Deese contributed eight points and eight rebounds.
 
Covenant's Joanna Smith ended the evening with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
 
Averett hits the road again on Saturday, Feb. 6, to play defending conference champion Maryville College at 5:30 p.m.