Women's Basketball | 1/10/2014 8:27:00 PM

Box Score LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Methodist women's basketball team had four players score in double figures as it emerged victorious over Covenant, 72-63, on Friday night at the Barnes PE Center. MU's current winning streak now stands at seven games.
 
Playing in their first away contest in nearly two months, the Monarchs (7-1, 3-0 USA South) returned from intermission with a slim 32-30 lead over the Scots (4-7, 1-2 USA South) after shooting 46.7 percent from the floor in the first half (14-30). The second period would become a neck-and-neck battle as the two teams exchanged the lead 10 times in those final 20 minutes.
 
Following a Chandler Christensen layup at the 16:39 mark, Methodist held a seven-point edge (41-34). Covenant began whittling away at its deficit, and eventually moved nudged ahead, 42-41, after scoring eight unanswered points, the final two of which came on Morgan Woodward's jumper with 13:48 on the clock. Now leading for the first time since the opening five minutes of the game, the Scots would lose their lead over two minutes later as Jackie Lyles made a jump shot at the 11:37 mark, giving Methodist a narrow edge (44-43). Over the next eight-plus minutes, the lead switched hands eight times. An Ayanna Pegues layup with 3:01 remaining in regulation would give the Monarchs an edge (61-60) that they would not relinquish in the end.
 
Less than three minutes into the matchup, the Monarchs found themselves trailing by six points (8-2) as the Scots (4-7, 1-2 USA South) scored eight of the evening's first 10 points, capped by Morgan Woodward's layup at the 17:32 mark. Six unanswered Methodist points would erase that deficit after Christensen made two free throws with 13:38 on the clock (10-8). The game would continue to go back-and-forth as the teams were tied at 21-21 with less than five minutes to play in the first half. When the halftime buzzer sounded, the Monarchs held a two-point lead (32-30).
 
For the evening, the Monarchs shot 46.4 percent from the field (26-56). The Scots made 36.4 percent of their field-goal attempts (24-66), and held a slight edge on the boards, 42-40.
 
Lyles led Methodist with 21 points, 10 rebounds, eight turnovers, four assists and four steals. She also went a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Pegues had 16 points, six boards, three steals and two blocks. Maya Banks finished with 13 points, and Christensen had 12 points and six rebounds.
 
Jessie Blankenship had her third consecutive double-double performance for Covenant, totaling game-highs of 23 points and 16 boards. Aleigha Williams had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Alexis Storteboom finished with 10 points and six boards.
 
Methodist will return to the hardwood on Saturday as it travels to play at Maryville. The opening tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm.