Eagles Beat Brenau 67-53

Gainesville, Ga. - The Eagles used a decisive second-quarter surge and a composed closing stretch at the free-throw line to defeat host Brenau 67-53 on Wednesday night at Brenau University.

The Eagles led after each quarter and broke the game open in the second, outscoring Brenau 25-18 in the frame to build a 33-24 halftime advantage. After three early ties and four lead changes, Reinhardt seized control when I'ziah McCutchins drilled a 3-pointer with 8:36 left in the second quarter to make it 13-11, part of a sustained run that turned a tight contest into a multi-possession lead. McCutchins then capped the half with two free throws in the final seconds for an 11-point cushion at 33-22, and Reinhardt never trailed again.

Reinhardt leaned on defense and depth after the break, limiting Brenau to just 10 points in the third quarter while getting key contributions from the bench. The Eagles held the Tigers to 31.5% shooting from the field and just 3-for-21 from 3-point range, turning 16 Brenau turnovers into 18 points. Reinhardt's reserves outscored Brenau's bench 24-7, helping offset a 44-41 rebounding disadvantage and ensuring the lead stayed in double figures for much of the second half.

McCutchins led all scorers with 24 points on 5-for-14 shooting, including 2-for-7 from beyond the arc, and was nearly automatic at the stripe at 12-for-13. She consistently answered Brenau's push attempts, including a free throw with 3:05 left in the third quarter that preserved a double-digit margin and a series of late free throws that shut the door. Her final trips to the line in the last minute produced four straight makes, stretching the lead to 65-53 with 42 seconds remaining and then to the Eagles' largest lead of the night, 67-53, with 19 seconds to play.

Around McCutchins, Reinhardt received balanced support in the frontcourt. Londaisha Smith narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds in 33 minutes before fouling out, while adding two assists. Audrey Ekoue-Bla provided another 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting and five rebounds, including a layup at the first-quarter buzzer that put the Eagles ahead 8-6 and set the tone for the remaining three quarters. As a team, Reinhardt shot 36.4% from the field but compensated by going 23-for-28 (82.1%) at the free-throw line and scoring 28 points in the paint.

Reinhardt's largest lead came in the final seconds, underscoring how the Eagles methodically extended their advantage rather than relying on a single knockout run. With the win, the Eagles improve to 20-6 and 17-2 in the conference. They will be on the road this Saturday for their last regular season game when they face Bluefield at 2pm.