SEWANEE, Tenn. – Seniors
Tre Corrigan and
Graham Smith each posted a career-best 27 points and
Russ Marr added 21, as Sewanee used a 25-10 run to end the first half and never looked back in a 122-94 victory over Covenant College to conclude the Lon Varnell Classic here Saturday evening at Juhan Gymnasium.
The Tigers (1-1) led 34-30 with five minutes in the opening period when Smith netted six straight points to begin the spurt. Corrigan added a jumper and
Eli Holland made two foul shots, but a 3-pointer by Covenant's Ethan Parker and a layup from Jake Stephens cut the Sewanee lead to 45-36.
Smith added another layup and Holland collected an old-fashioned 3-point play in the final minute. Corrigan then nailed a 3-pointer before a layup by Smith. Corrigan was fouled with 0.3 seconds left in the half after a steal while shooting a triple and made all three attempts, giving the Tigers a 59-40 advantage at intermission.
Corrigan made 9-of-13 shots overall, 5-for-7 from 3-point range, while Smith connected on 12-of-20 attempts, many of them layups against the constant pressing by the Scots (0-2). Marr netted 14 of his 21 points in the second half, helping Sewanee pull away, and registered team-highs with eight rebounds and eight assists.
Luuk Dusek paced Covenant with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, but the visitors made only 9-of-38 from behind the arc. Korbin Long added 10 points for the Scots.
Covenant held an early lead with a 3-pointer by Adam Deininger and a basket from Long, but a mini-spurt by the Tigers that included a triple by Corrigan and field goals from Smith, Marr and
Fletcher Bigham put Sewanee in front, 10-6.
The Scots tied the game at 10 thanks to baskets from Fisher Mitchell and Long, but
Reid Carrier's 3-pointer and a bucket from
Luka Avaliani pushed the Tigers lead to five.
Dusek hit the first of three triples in the half for the Scots and a three from Logan Patterson gave Covenant an 18-17 edge nine minutes into the game. The contest was tied at 24 after a jumper by Jake Stephens before Sewanee went back in front on a steal and old-fashioned 3-point play by Carrier. The decisive run to end the half started less than three minutes later.
Marr posted the first four points in a 13-5 stretch in the second half that pushed the lead to 82-55 with 13-plus minutes remaining.
Rashaun Williams made a layup before Corrigan netted seven consecutive points with two field goals and a triple from the corner. Williams added another basket and the Tigers were well on their way.
Sewanee travels to Maryville College on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. CT contest and heads to Berea College next Saturday.
