SEWANEE, Tenn. – Fletcher Bigham posted 19 points and Cody Baerlocher added 17 points off the bench, but Sewanee made just 5-of-26 from 3-point range and Covenant closed the game on a 16-8 run in a 90-86 victory over the Tigers on Saturday in the Lon Varnell Classic at Juhan Gymnasium.
 
The back-and-forth contest featured 17 lead changes and nine ties. Sewanee (1-1) connected on five triples in the first half but was 0-for-7 from behind the arc in the final 20 minutes while the Scots (1-1) made 14-of-29 overall from three, including 7-of-14 in the second period.
 
Covenant held a 41-40 edge at intermission and stretched the lead to four on three occasions in the first five minutes of the half, including a 3-pointer by Luke Crowden and field goals from Gus Hood and Eli Witt. Russ Marr collected an old-fashioned 3-point play for the Tigers and two free throws from Baerlocher gave Sewanee its first lead of the second period, 53-52.
 
The Scots answered with a bucket from Crowden and a triple by Jonathan Gernatt, but Graham Smith's field goal plus the foul and free throw for Sewanee made it a one-point game again. The lead for either team did not get above two points from the 13:17 mark until a 6-0 spurt from the Tigers inside of eight minutes to play.
 
Bigham's jump shot knotted the game at 72 and a layup from Baerlocher and two foul shots by Marr put Sewanee in front, 76-72, with just under six minutes left. Marr added two more free throws for a 78-74 edge with 4:19 remaining, but Covenant responded over the last four minutes of the contest.
 
Jesse Kinard made a 3-pointer and a layup for the Scots and Gernatt's layup with just over three minutes to play put Covenant ahead, 81-80. Rashaun Williams answered with a bucket for the Tigers and the teams traded field goals before a triple by Gernatt with just over a minute to play made it 86-84.
 
Smith missed a layup on the other end for Sewanee but Gernatt was unable to convert at the charity stripe, missing the front end of a 1-and-1. Williams could not convert for the Tigers and Hood connected on 1-of-2 at the foul line for a 3-point Scots advantage.
 
Corrigan made it a one-point game with two free throws for the Tigers in the final minute, but Hood netted 3-of-4 at the foul line in the last 10 seconds to seal the win for Covenant.
 
Williams finished with 13 points and Marr added 11 for the Tigers. Gernatt led all scorers with 26 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while Kinard collected 23 points with four more triples for the Scots and Crowden netted 15.
 
Sewanee hosts Maryville College this Wednesday at 7 p.m. to end a three-game homestand to start the season.