Eagles Battle But Come Up Short Against CIU

Waleska, GA - Reinhardt Basketball has been playing great in 2024 which has put them back in the conference tournament picture and they have been knocking off quality teams including the AAC leader (at the time)- University of Pikeville.  Tonight's opponent was the third-place team in the conference, Columbia International (CIU), and the Eagles would come up just short in the final minutes of adding another check in the win column for 2024.  The Rams of CIU topped the Eagles 77 to 73 in an entertaining game at the Brown Athletic Center.

Reinhardt had a slow start in the game and could not get a shot to fall, which allowed CIU to get a significant lead.  The lead would reach fifteen points before the Eagles would start a first-half comeback. Tyler Smith would initiate the comeback for the Eagles after coming off the bench and adding power and consistency under the basket.  The lead that was 15 was cut down to just four points at the break, 36-32 in favor of the Rams.

Smith ended up with 20 points coming off the bench for Reinhardt and he was the second-leading scorer in the game. Nate Jones would lead all scorers for the Eagles finishing with 21 points and 6 rebounds. Derrian Reed was another huge lift coming off the bench scoring 14 points and hitting a few big three-pointers in the game.

The second half would stay tight the entire time with the Eagles nipping at the heels of the Rams the entire way.  Reinhart tied the game a few times in the final 10 minutes and had a narrow lead at one point, but a few good plays and second-chance points in the final minutes proved to be the difference in the game.

Reinhardt's free throw percentage was again a bright spot just as it has been in the last several games.  Their shooting from the field was down from the past few games and this was because of the poor start they had that put them in a hole. The Eagles shot 88% from the free throw line missing just three shots.  The field goal percentage was just under 43%, however, they only shot 7 of 23 from behind the three-point arch bringing the percentage down some.  

Overall, the Eagles played a great, entertaining game and the effort was 100%.  If one or two shots had fallen or the ball had gone a different way in those final minutes - then Reinhardt could have very well ended up on top.  The team will have to regroup and try to heal up before this Saturday's matchup at St. Andrews so they can remain in the top eight spots of the AAC.  If they can win at least three of the final five games of this season, it should be enough to keep them in the running for the AAC Tournament.  Every game in front of them is a winnable game for the Eagles.