Eagles Fall to Columbia in a Barn-Burner at The Brown

Waleska, GA - In a nail-biting AAC basketball matchup at Waleska, GA, the Reinhardt University Eagles were narrowly defeated by the Columbia University Koalas with a final score of 95-89 on January 25, 2025. The game was intensely fought, seeing both teams tied at 43 at the halftime break, setting the stage for a dramatic second half.

Nate Jones led the scoring for the Eagles with 20 points, followed by Tee Williams with 16 points, and Derrick Brown, who not only scored 15 points but also achieved a remarkable double-double with 11 rebounds and three assists. Their efforts were critical in keeping the Eagles in contention throughout the game. The final moments were highlighted by several crucial plays from Jones and Williams, keeping the scores close with multiple lead changes. 

Center Quincy Young gave Coach Newton's squad valuable minutes coming off the bench, scoring his season-high of eight points. Nekhi Fisher was just under a double-double pulling down 9 rebounds and scoring 9 points for the Eagles.

Despite their valiant efforts, it was Columbia's late free throws, particularly by Alvaro Mendez, that sealed the victory for the Koalas. The loss moves Reinhardt's season record to 8 wins and 11 losses, with 5-7 in the AAC play. The Eagles are currently in 8th place in the AAC standings, but there is plenty of AAC play to go.  The February AAC schedule is what makes or breaks you in the final standings as teams jockey for tournament play.

Looking ahead, the Eagles are set to face Kentucky Christian (AAC) at home in Waleska on Monday. The team can easily put the last few games behind them and get on a run that can get them back in the top portion of the conference standings.