Eagles Let a Big Lead & Home Victory Slip Away

David Finney | photo by G-Rox Photography

Waleska, GA - It was a big night for basketball on the campus at Reinhardt University when the Point Skyhawks came to town.  The Men's Basketball team has been on a roll lately and they have really been providing an exciting brand of basketball. When you do this and create the high-flying, aerobatic highlights - then word gets out and people show up. The bleachers at the Brown Athletic Center gym were practically full with fans and students ready to see what the Eagles could do, however, this one would be a tale of two halves for them.

The game would start with Kristian Collins, Jalin Wimberly, and Marcus Kirkland all getting in on the scoring for the Eagles. When Coach Newton's team gets their game going, they can run with anyone in the AAC and that is just what happened in the first half. The game was fairly close halfway through the first half, but then Keyshaun Street would drive for a layup giving Reinhardt a five-point lead. Collins would next hit a three-pointer just under ten minutes pushing this lead to eight. The high-flyer, Tafari Thomas, would start getting active scoring on a layup and three-pointer and the lead was now up to twelve.  Things were looking great for the Eagles and you could see this lead being extended if they kept the scoring consistent. 

Dereck Lampkin's back-to-back layups in the final three minutes would see the Eagles lead reach eighteen points. The Eagles would go on a small shooting slump in the final two minutes allowing the Skyhawks to chip away at the lead slightly. Wimberly was able to hit a long three-pointer getting the lead to eleven going into halftime, 38-27.

On the season, the Eagles have been able to put up incredible numbers typically reaching the mid to high forties in scoring in a half. They have a fast-paced offense and score in bunches, however, this evening they would have struggles scoring in the second half. Reinhardt would put up uncharacteristic numbers scoring just nineteen points in this second half. This left the door open for Point to not only catch them but towards the end get up by as much as fourteen. Point was not particularly shooting the ball much better because it took them the entire second half to pull away from the Eagles. 

The game was finally tied just over five minutes into the second half at forty each and the score would stay within two points for each team until almost the ten-minute mark. This is when Point continued to slowly score and the Eagles went ice cold. Wimberly, Collins, and Tyler Smith made baskets and tried keeping Reinhardt close, but the shots were just not going in for the team. It was a long final ten minutes seeing the comfortable first-half lead slip away and see the conference win go away as well. The game would end with a disappointing 71 to 57 defeat.

Jalin Wimberly would lead the Eagles in scoring with 15 points and Kristian Collins would add 11. Tafari Thomas would reach double figures in rebounds with 12 total.

The best thing about basketball is that you do not have time to think about your loss too much. The Eagles will get it going again this Saturday at Kentucky Christian and look for them to get their offensive edge back and put up the numbers that we are used to from this group.