LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Averett University men's basketball knocked off USA South Conference West Division leader Covenant College 57-45 on Saturday afternoon. In the process, the Cougars locked up the USA South East Division regular season crown outright while notching their 11th consecutive victory.

Averett (17-6, 13-2 USA South) finished both periods on a strong note, but it was the run to end the first half that helped the Cougars gain momentum for the rest of the game after falling behind by 10 points early. Covenant (14-9, 11-5 USA South) opened its Senior Day game on fire, especially from beyond the arc. The Scots drilled five of their first 11 3-point attempts to help gain a 23-13 advantage. Averett, however, settled in to finish the first half on a 15-1 run, which gave the Cougars a 28-24 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Averett withstood a small Covenant run that put the Scots briefly in front 38-37 before Averett got a 3-pointer from sophomore Isaiah Jones and a layup by junior Montre' Cash to reestablish a 42-38 lead with 11:45 to play.

The top to defensive teams in the USA South held each other scoreless for the next four-plus minutes. Covenant eventually tied the game 42-42 with 6:29 to play. Yet, Averett's defense held the Scots to a mere three points over the final six minutes. In the meantime, Averett's offense stabilized down the stretch with big baskets from Cash and Jones as the Cougars pulled away in the final minutes.

Jones led the Cougars with team-highs of 13 points and seven rebounds, while Cash and senior Timothy Henry each had 10 points. Cash also grabbed six rebounds.
Will Crumly was Covenant's lone double-digit scorer with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Averett's 11-game winning streak is its longest since the Cougars won a record 12 games in a row in 2008-09, which included three USA South Tournament victories and a win in the NCAA Tournament First Round.

Averett returns to action Tuesday for its final home game of the regular season against Methodist University at 7:30 p.m. Senior Night ceremonies will begin prior to the game.