Balanced attack, Smothering Defense Power Reinhardt Past Truett McConnell

Cleveland, GA - Reinhardt Women's Basketball used a dominant defensive effort and a balanced scoring attack to roll past Truett McConnell 71-34, steadily pulling away by winning every quarter and never trailing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup.

The Eagles set the tone early with a 7-0 start, highlighted by an Emariah Grant 3-pointer assisted by Mackenzie Franklin, and turned a modest 11-10 edge after the first quarter into a 15-point halftime lead by clamping down defensively. Reinhardt outscored Truett McConnell 18-4 in the second quarter, holding the Bears without a field goal for extended stretches and taking a 29-14 advantage into the break after a late layup by Chloe VanDyke.

Reinhardt put the game out of reach in the third quarter behind its most efficient offensive stretch. The Eagles opened the period on a 7-0 run, capped by a Londaisha Smith 3-pointer that pushed the margin to 36-14. Buckets from Audrey Ekoue-Bla and others kept the pressure on as Reinhardt posted a 20-10 scoring edge in the third. By the time Taylor Collins buried a 3-pointer late in the quarter, the Eagles had complete control and were headed toward their largest lead of 38 points in the fourth.

Smith led Reinhardt with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 1-for-1 from behind the arc and a 2-for-2 mark at the line. The guard also added four steals and a block in 23 minutes, spearheading a defensive effort that forced 28 Truett McConnell turnovers and turned them into 35 points on the other end. Haley Johnson provided another spark with 11 points, three steals and four rebounds in just 13 minutes, while Franklin nearly recorded a double-double with seven points and a game-high eight rebounds.  Franklin led the Eagles on the boards with 8 total.

As a team, the Eagles finished 27-of-64 from the field (42.2 percent), knocking down seven 3-pointers and converting 10 of 15 free throws. Reinhardt owned a 36-22 advantage on the glass, generated 14 second-chance points and poured in 36 points in the paint. The Eagles' defensive pressure limited the Bears to 34.1 percent shooting overall, just 1-of-13 from 3-point range and 3-of-11 at the free-throw line.

Reinhardt closed the night with a 22-10 advantage in the fourth quarter, getting late 3-pointers from Alexus Wilson and Trea Blalock to stretch the lead before the final minute. This is the ninth win in a row for the Eagles as they keep their number two spot in the AAC standings.  The only team that is ahead of them is Milligan, which they were set to face in Tennessee this Saturday.  However; that game has been postponed because of the potential winter weather moving into the southeast this weekend.  That game will be played on February 16th and it is a game that could decide the top spot going into the AAC Tournament. Reinhardt will be back on the court in Waleska next Wednesday evening to face the Royals of Johnson University.