COVINGTON – The Covington Lady Buccs overcame a sluggish start with a dominating second half that led to a 59-33 victory over a gritty Lehman Catholic team on Saturday.

From the outset it was obvious Lehman was focused on shutting down the Anderson sisters – Gracie and Maggie. The Lady Cavaliers put defenders face-to-face with both Gracie and Maggie, while the remaining three defenders played in a zone.

The strategy for Lehman worked early as the Lady Buccs struggled hitting shots throughout much of the first half. This led to a slim 21-15 lead for Covington at the break.

Things changed in the second half as Covington pulled away in the third period by outscoring Lehman 21- 7. The Lady Buccs followed with a strong fourth quarter to close out a 26-point victory.

Sophomores Delaney Murphy and Avery Koffer both had huge games as they combined to score 31 points. Murphy finished with a game-high 19 points and Koffer had 12 points – all coming on four three-pointers.

Senior Carlie Besecker also had a big game with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Despite moments of struggling to hit open looks, what was most impressive for Covington was the unity the Lady Buccs displayed as a team. The unselfishness was led by Gracie and Maggie Anderson as they passed the ball to open teammates for open looks as Lehman defenders crashed down on them when they received the ball.

Also, the Lady Buccs received a strong effort from the bench, which consisted of juniors Gabrielle Hartwig and Hannah Alexander, along with freshmen Emily Johnson, Stevi Newhouse, Kylie Palsgrove and Bella Batdorf.

The complete team effort improves Covington’s overall record to 8-1 and 4-0 in the TRC. The Lady Buccs have a tough challenge on the road on Thursday at Milton-Union.

SCORE BY QUARTERS:
Covington – 13 – 21 – 42 – 59
Lehman – 7 – 15 – 22 – 33

COVINGTON SCORING:
Delaney Murphy – 19
Avery Koffer – 12
Carlie Besecker – 10
Gracie Anderson – 5
Maggie Anderson – 5
Emalyn Johnson – 3
Steve Newhouse – 2
Gabrielle Hartwig – 2
Bella Batdorf – 1

LEHMAN SCORING:
Kailee Rank – 7
Mel Karn – 6
Aubri Karn – 6
Lilly Graham – 5
Callie Giguere – 4
Bailey Cooper – 3
Mara O’Leary – 2

THREE-POINT SCORING:
Covington – Avery Koffer (4), Gracie Anderson – (1), Maggie Anderson (1), Carlie Besecker (1), Emalyn Johnson (1)
Lehman – Aubri Karn (2), Mel Karn (1), Bailey Cooper (1), Kailee Rank (1)