DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University men's basketball's comeback fell short as Covenant College escaped with a 62-59 conference win on Saturday afternoon at the Grant Center.

Averett (3-14, 3-6 USA South) got a key defensive stop late and had possession with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Averett's final 3-point attempt was off-line after contact from a defender, and the buzzer sounded to end the game.

Covenant (11-6, 10-0 USA South) built as much as a 13-point lead midway through the second half. Yet, the Cougars came fighting back. Junior Vince Contreras' 3-pointer got Averett within 59-51 of Covenant with 5:30 remaining and the Cougars hit several key free throws down the stretch to inch closer.

Senior T.J. McAllister drained a clutch 3-pointer from the corner with 49 seconds remaining to cut Covenant's lead to 62-59. At the other end, Averett got a defensive stop to earn possession with a chance to even the score.

Junior Timothy Henry led Averett with 18 points and six boards, while Contreras had nine points, sophomore Montre' Cash had eight points and freshman Isaiah Jones led the Cougars with 10 rebounds and three steals.

Averett fell behind initially after Covenant came out shooting well in the opening minutes. The Scots grabbed a 16-4 lead in the first four minutes of play before the Cougars began chipping away at their deficit. Contreras' layup down the lane tied the game at 26-26 with 4:05 left in the first half. Although Covenant answered with another 3-pointer, Averett stayed within striking distance the rest of the half and trailed 36-32 at halftime.

Averett begins a three-game road trip when the Cougars travel to conference foe Pfeiffer University on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m.