Emily From Deep

Scots have the shooters, grit, to make a run

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

It didn’t fall, but that didn’t matter at all.

It’s where Emily Allen pulled from — the logo at center court — that made you do a double take. The fact the Maryville College freshman was just trying to get a shot off before the half?

Let that go, too.

Allen didn’t just race to halfcourt and launch. She popped a jumper. Her reaction was priceless.

Winners of their last five, the Scots (9-9, 7-3 Collegiate Conference of the South) arrive at a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend a team really starting to find itself.

LaGrange comes to Maryville on Friday, with the women’s game tipping at 5 p.m., the men to follow.

Saturday, Huntingdon visits Cooper Athletic Center for a 2 p.m. tilt, the men’s game tipping approximately 30 minutes later.

Allen’s deep blast in a 55-43 win over Covenant came as the Scots ran their current win streak to five games. More importantly, Maryville had to dig upend its rival, Covenant out front for much of the contest before a second-half Scots rally turned the tide.

Maryville has leaned heavily on senior Courtney Carruthers this season. The former Maryville High Lady Rebel is the only Scot averaging in double figures at 12.9 points per game, but the recent entrant into the 1,500-points club isn’t exactly all by her lonesome.

Carruthers’ 14 points paced the Maryville scoring in the Covenant win, but Allen knocked down a pair of treys to finish just back with 12. Ella Haney finished with 11, Olivia Carruthers six.

It’s the fight back on defense that proved the story, though, until a 23-point Scots fourth quarter put it away.

The Covenant high point in any quarter came during a 12-point third.

With Haney (9.7 points), Allen (8.7), Emma Huskey (7.2) and Olivia Cathers (5.3) each capable of big nights, it’s the kind of thing that makes you a team no one wants to face come postseason.