The Shadow
For Covington girls basketball coach Tara Simmons-Brewster, this year’s team is also next year’s team.
Her Cougars may be ahead of schedule.
Tuesday night, Amiah Hunter led three players into double figures with 14 points, as Covington pushed unbeaten James Monroe, W.Va., into the fourth quarter before falling 56-43.
Trailing by 13 entering the final quarter, the hosts hacked into the Mavericks’ lead with an 11-4 run.
Ariel Barber assisted on a Zy’onah Garrison basket to start the rally and then added five points of her own.
And when Hunter drove the lane and converted with four minutes to play, the James Monroe lead was only 48-40.
But the Mavericks, led by top scorer Gracie Mann, scored the next nine points of the game to secure the win.
“We haven’t been able to get the ball in the basket, but tonight we did,” said Simmons-Brewster, who doesn’t have a senior on her roster. “We played as a team. That team that we played, they’re pretty good. They are undefeated and we got within eight in the fourth quarter.”
Mann and Morgan Wylie combined for seven 3-pointers and 23 first-half points, staking the Mavericks to a 29-15 halftime lead.
A triangle-and-2 defense slowed the pair in the second half, holding them without a three.
“We tried something different and got into a little rhythm,” Simmons-Brewster added. “I’m pleased.”
Mann paced James Monroe (7-0) with 21 points, while Wylie added 14. Megan Boroski had a team-high seven rebounds.
Hunter led the Cougars with 14 points — 11 coming in the second half — and six rebounds.
Barber added a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, while freshman Cristi Persinger scored 10 points and grabbed six boards. Stacy Tacy pulled in nine rebounds.
Covington, now 2-6 on the year, finishes their pre-Christmas schedule tonight at Eastern Montgomery.
