Reinhardt Haults St. Andrews (N.C.), 76-44

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
 
WALESKA, Ga. – A widespread offensive attack and dominant defense was a great combination for Reinhardt women's basketball Saturday in a 76-44 triumph over the Knights of St. Andrews (N.C.) inside the Brown Athletic Center.

The blowout win, their eighth-straight, pushed the 23^rd-ranked Eagles to 19-2 overall and 16-2 inside the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).

"We got a really nice team win today and I love that we got contributions from everyone that played," lead Eagle Toby Wagoner said. "Super happy and excited to see us play so well together… Ball movement and making the extra pass was huge today because our shots weren't falling consistently; as basketball fan, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated our offensive effort today. On the defensive end of the floor, it was awesome to see the team work together to execute our game plan. Credit St. Andrews for knocking down some shots but our defensive focus was defending specific offensive actions they typically execute very well. Coach Sparks does a really good job of coaching their team up and we felt we had to execute on both ends of the floor.

"We really had a great team effort today and sometimes it hard to speak of individual players because we work so hard to work collectively with one heartbeat, but I am thrilled to see Brylee play so well today. Her performance was exactly what we needed and was exceptional in all facets today. I know I speak for the entire team that we are all proud and excited for her. Really proud of team today, as we got better, and I'm not sure there is anything more exciting than getting better and winning games this time of year."

Nine student-athletes found their way into the scorebook, and seven of them netted seven-or-more points in the AAC positive outcome. Brylee Puckett came off the bench to lead the way in the scoring column for her club with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of play.

Bethany Headrick (four assists and three steals) also recorded a double-double with 13 tallies and 10 boards as well, and the third in the trio of 10-plus-point scorers was Ashton Sutton with 12 points, 5 thefts and 4 dimes.

A 10-point lead after the first quarter put Reinhardt on the right track towards establishing its dominance over St. Andrews on the court. The Knights were able find their footing a little more in the second quarter, but still trailed by 15 points at the break, 37-22.

The Eagles would add another 10 points to their cushion after scoring the most tallies in a period (24) on the afternoon to cruise to another home win. Even with a big lead, the defense never wavered, surrendering just eight points – the fewest in the contest – in the final quarter.

All five starters for Reinhardt scored more than a half-dozen and had solid stat lines. Collectively, the hosts shot 30-for-72 (41.7 percent) – and on defense – forced 26 turnovers, including 17 steals. Nearly everyone on the team found a way to contribute in a big way in a variety of areas and categories as well. 

The homestand continues on Feb. 5 with a visit from Columbia International (S.C.) at 5:30 p.m.

For up-to-the-minute Eagles sports news, follow Reinhardt Athletics on Facebook, @RU_Eagles on Twitter and @ru_eagles on Instagram. 

For more information on Reinhardt Women's Basketball, please click here.