Williams’ 33 Vaults Reinhardt Past Montreat in 70-69 Comeback Win!

WALESKA, Ga. — Reinhardt Men's Basketball erased a double-digit second-half deficit behind a dominant performance from Tee Williams, edging Montreat 70-69 on Saturday afternoon at Brown Athletic Center in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) thriller.

Williams delivered a game-high 33 points and 12 rebounds, capping his night with a driving layup that gave the Eagles a 69-65 lead with 1:10 remaining. After Montreat's Mike Wade answered with a 3-pointer to pull the visitors within 69-68 with 54 seconds left, Reinhardt's late-game composure at the free-throw line proved decisive. AJ Shaw sank two foul shots with 16 seconds remaining to push the margin to 70-68, and the Eagles held on after Montreat's final possessions came up empty.

Montreat controlled much of the afternoon, building a 33-28 halftime lead and stretching the advantage to 40-30 early in the second half on two Wade free throws at the 17:03 mark. The Cavaliers used perimeter shooting and late first-half execution to seize momentum, with Owen Stewart's 3-pointer pushing the lead to 30-23 and Amare Elshoush knocking down a jumper to make it 33-26 before the break.

Reinhardt responded after halftime by tightening up defensively and attacking the glass. The Eagles forced 15 Montreat turnovers while committing just nine and finished with a 39-34 rebounding edge, including 13 offensive boards that helped extend key possessions. Williams and Derrick Brown were central to that surge, combining for 23 rebounds and repeatedly converting second-chance opportunities to chip away at the deficit.

Brown posted a double-double of his own with 12 points and 11 rebounds, adding two blocks and two steals while going 6-for-6 at the foul line. As a team, Reinhardt capitalized at the stripe, hitting 22 of 25 free throws (88 percent) to offset a cold night from beyond the arc, where the Eagles were just 2-for-18. Williams, in particular, was nearly automatic, finishing 11-for-12 at the line and 10-for-17 from the field, including 2-for-3 on 3-pointers in 37 minutes. Brown was a perfect 6 for 6 and backup point guard Arael Jones went 4 for 5 from the charity stripe.

Montreat countered with balanced scoring and efficient shooting, going 45.5 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from 3-point range. Stewart led the Cavaliers with 16 points and three 3-pointers, while Wade added 13 points, five rebounds and two steals. Lawrence Cole scored 15 points and went 9-for-12 at the line, including a free throw with 12 seconds left that cut Reinhardt's lead to 70-69, but Montreat could not convert a go-ahead basket in the closing seconds.

In front of a packed house at The Brown, Reinhardt's late defensive stands and full-court pressure turned what appeared to be a comfortable Montreat advantage into a statement comeback. The Eagles outscored the Cavaliers 42-36 in the second half, using physical play inside, timely stops, and Williams' go-to scoring to secure the one-point win at home.

The Eagles will be on the road this upcoming week at Truett McConnell on Wednesday evening and then they will be in Tennessee to play the Buffaloes of Milligan on Saturday.  Every AAC game is very important to the Eagles as they try to inch up the standings, pushing for an AAC Tournament invitation.