TECUMSEH – The Covington Lady Buccs put forth a great team performance in the opening game of the state tournament as they defeated Calvary Christian,. 55-3.
The three points allowed by the Lady Buccs’ defense broke the school record of the least points allowed in a game. The previous record of six points allowed was set in 2023 against Miami Valley.
Covington’s defense was phenomenal throughout the entire contest as every player on the floor gave maximum effort. Senior Gabrielle Hartwig was so impressive as she blocked several shots and limited scoring opportunities for Calvary Christian inside the paint. The rest of the team also contributed greatly on defense as they forced turnovers and also limited shot opportunities for Calvary Christian.
Offensively, Covington built a 16-0 lead until Calvary Christian scored its only field goal in the game midway through the first period. The Lady Buccs then pushed their lead to 26-2 at the end of the first and 40-2 at the break.
Throughout the entire first half all of Covington’s players had an impact on the floor. The five starters, Maggie Anderson, Avery Koffer, Emalyn Johnson, Gabrielle Hartwig and Delaney Murphy started the second half with eight quick points and the rest of the team was rotated in throughout the entire second half under a running clock.
The intensity and enthusiasm never relented as the Lady Buccs prevented Calvary Christian from knocking in a field goal in the second half. The only point dropped in by Calvary in the final two periods came on a free throw.
Offensively, the Lady Buccs showed unselfishness in the first half as they shared the ball to find wide open shots. That mentality carried on throughout the second half by the players off the bench as each one of them helped put each other in position for open looks. The main one was sophomore Stevi Newhouse, who started off on fire with eight quick points. She then passed the ball to teammates Bella Batdorf, Aubrey Hoying and Mackenzie Grear to give them opportunities to score, which they did.
Unfortunately, the biggest negative impact on Covington was the injury suffered by Newhouse in the fourth quarter when she recorded a steal and was knocked to the floor on an attempted layup. Hopefully the injury suffered by Newhouse wasn’t serious because she is a very tough and competitive young lady who will help the Lady Buccs accomplish future success.
In scoring, nine of the ten players on Covington’s roster put points on the board. Granted, Gabrielle Hartwig was the only one who didn’t score, but her impact on the game was phenomenal due to her defensive effort and her unselfishness at the offensive end. Hartwig did receive the ball inside the paint several times, but flipped the ball out to teammates more often than not because Calvary Christian defenders swarmed her. Hartwig’s performance showed just how much she is committed to the success of the entire team than to her self.
The win improves Covington’s record to 21-2 and next up is a showdown with Legacy Christian on Wednesday, February 19th at Tecumseh. The game is slated to start at 7:30pm.
| 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | FINAL | |
| COVINGTON | 26 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 55 |
| CALVARY CHRISTIAN | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
COVINGTON SCORING:
Maggie Anderson – 17
Avery Koffer – 12
Emalyn Johnson – 8
Stevi Newhouse – 8
Delaney Murphy – 3
Bella Batdorf – 3
Kylie Palsgrove – 2
Aubrey Hoying – 1
Mackenzie Grear – 1
CALVARY CHRISTIAN SCORING:
R. Gantz – 2
A. Wylie – 1
THREE-POINT SCORING:
Covington – Maggie Anderson (3), Avery Koffer (1), Stevi Newhouse (1), Bella Batdorf (1)
Calvary Christian – None
