TROY – It wasn’t an easy contest, but the Covington Lady Buccs were able to close out a 48-33 victory over a gritty Troy Christian team due to a strong finish.

Covington opened up the game with an 11-7 advantage after one as Maggie Anderson scored 8 points on two treys and a runner, while Avery Koffer connected on another three-pointer.

The Lady Buccs pushed their lead to 19-11 at the break as Gabrielle Hartwig dropped in two buckets and two more baskets were hit by Maggie Anderson and Kylie Palsgrove. The biggest shot came in the final second of the first half as Hartwig canned a ten-foot jumper from the baseline.

Both teams were able to increase their scoring success in the third period as Covington dropped in 16 points and Troy Christian scored 15 points in the frame. Fortunately, this kept the Lady Buccs in control as they held a 35-26 lead with eight minutes left on the clock.

Troy Christian was a team that gave a geat effort, but Covington was able to pull away in the final period by outscoring the Eagles 13-7 down the stretch. Maggie Anderson and Delaney Murphy both connected on two buckets, while Emalyn Johnson dropped in a basket and a free throw on a three-point play. Plus, Gabrielle Hartwig knocked down a shot.

In the 15-point victory, Maggie Anderson led Covington with a game-high 20 points, while Delaney Murphy and Gabrielle Hartwig both scored eight points.

Covington improves its record to 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the TRC. The Lady Buccs host a Holiday Tournament next Friday and Saturday to close out the year of 2024.

	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	FINAL
COVINGTON	11	8	16	13	48
TROY CHRISTIAN	7	4	15	7	33

COVINGTON SCORING:
Maggie Anderson – 20
Gabrielle Hartwig – 8
Delaney Murphy – 8
Emalyn Johnson – 5
Avery Koffer – 3
Kylie Palsgrove – 2
Stevi Newhouse – 2

TROY CHRISTIAN SCORING:
Karis Miller – 8
Landry Niles – 7
Nora Inman – 5
Reign Wilkins – 4
Elizabeth Waltz – 4
Sadie Jones – 2

THREE-POINT SCORING:
Covington – Maggie Anderson (2), Avery Koffer (1)
Troy Christian – Landry Niles (2), Nora Inman (1)