LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. -  After opening the 2023-24 season with a solid first half, a sluggish second segment spelled doom for the Mississippi University for Women, 72-52, at Covenant College in its men's basketball season opener. The Owls (0-1) trailed 31-27 after the first 20 minutes in the non-conference bout versus the Scots (2-1).
 
"I thought that you saw glimpses of what we've done consistently on a daily basis in the first half," The W Head Coach Dean Burrows said. "We emphasize four statistical categories and only won one. Hats off to Covenant, as they are an unselfish group who play extremely hard and can all shoot it. In the result we had tonight, Tyson's (Smithey) stat line is the one I want to point, out as it defines unselfishness and work ethic."
 
Smithey, at 6-foot-4, led all rebounders with a career-high 14 boards. Smithey finished with seven points, as no Owls hit double figure scoring. He also led the team with four assists and three steals.
 
In a back-and-forth opening half, The W led by as many as three points on several occasions. MUW still held a slim advantage, 27-25, with 47 seconds left in the half, thanks to a Smithey layup. But back-to-back treys by the Scots to send the teams into the break gave them the largest lead by either club to that point, 31-27.
 
Senior guard Andrew Shepherd (4 points) got the Owls to within a single possession by canning a jumper to open the second stanza, 31-29. But that would be as close as The W would get the rest of the evening. Covenant went on a 12-5 run over the next 6:42 minutes to up its lead to nine points (43-34). In the final eight minutes of the game, the Scots managed to maintain a double-digit cushion the entire time.
 
As hot as the Owls were shooting in the first half, a respectable 43 percent (13-30), they struggled in the second by connecting on just 22 percent (7-32). Conversely, the Scots hit 55 percent from the floor in the second, after a pedestrian 36 percent in the first half.
 
Covenant created separation thanks to making eight more baskets from long range (9-1) than did The W, as well as holding a 40-26 advantage on points in the paint.
 
Michael Smith Jr. had a nice debut for MUW, with eight points on a 4-for-5 shooting effort from the field. Senior teammate Brye Hopkins matched Smith's eight points, while hauling in four rebounds, as well.
 
Adin Johnson added six points in his first game as an Owl. Sophomore Josh Dukes booked five points. Two other newcomers – Cam Smith and Isaiah Ball – joined Shepherd with four points each. Chris Evans, Dariun Doss, and Grant Dye each tallied two to round out MUW's scoring.
 
"This one doesn't define us," Burrows summarized. "But it is who we are at this point in time. We will get better tomorrow in preparation for the two we have in Pensacola this weekend."
 
The W will face Trinity College (Fla.) on Friday and the Johnson University (Fla.) on Saturday in the Pensacola Christian College Classic.