Men's Basketball Shines on the Road at Dalton State (Ga.)

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

Photo Courtesy of Greg Spell/G-RoxPhotos.com

DALTON, Ga. – Moses Jones had 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting off the bench and Josh Press added 16 tallies as the Eagles stepped out of conference Thursday night and came away victorious over Dalton State (Ga.), 73-61.

Reinhardt exploded for 45 second-half points to move to 8-3 in the final contest before the holidays.

"What a spectacular way to go into break," head coach Justin Newton said. "Dalton State is traditionally a powerhouse at the NAIA level and Alex Ireland is a good friend and does a tremendous job. To go on the road and get a win in that place just shows the growth and toughness of our team. We had some guys get in foul trouble early and the bench stepped up in a major way. I thought it was our best defensive effort all year. We really guarded together and celebrated our teammates' successes. This team has a lot of depth and it showed tonight. I'm excited for the guys to get a well-deserved break and I know they are ready to come back and build off our success. Go Eagles!"

A low-scoring first half saw the Roadrunners hold an early lead throughout most of the opening period, but the Eagles began to hit a rhythm around the seven-minute mark before halftime. They were able to cut into the six-point deficit (17-11) and flip it on its head to the tune of a four-point advantage at 23-19 in just a matter of minutes.

At the break, the hometown squad held a cushion of 28-26.

The second half was much of the same for both programs, as neither would stray too far from the other until a one possession contest turned into a double-digit victory. Up by three at 59-56, Jalin Wimberly jump-started the offense and enabled his team to pull ahead by 13 at 71-58 with just over two minutes left thanks to a 12-2 run.

Dalton State would never get closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

Individually, Tyler Smith also chipped in with 11 tallies while the Eagles shot 40.3 percent (29-for-72) as a group. Reinhardt was only able to get to the charity stripe six times in the win, but it collected 20 assists – led by four from Wimberly and a host of others with three apiece.

Not to be outdone, Tafari Thomas nearly posted a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.

The hometown squad now has some time off to enjoy Christmas break before getting back on the court at home against Bryan (Tenn.) on Jan. 5, 2021. 

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