Reinhardt edged by Columbia in the Final Seconds, 68-67

Waleska, GA - A backside dunk in the final seconds of the game spoiled a strong home effort for Reinhardt on Saturday, as Columbia College escaped the Brown Athletic Center with a 68-67 win in a tightly contested matchup. Columbia's Chandler O'Bannon delivered the decisive play with six seconds remaining, getting loose under the basket and hammering home a dunk off an Alileyon Ford assist to flip a one-point Reinhardt lead into a 68-67 advantage for the visitors. Reinhardt had multiple chances to extend and reclaim the lead late, but Columbia's final possession and O'Bannon's finish proved to be the difference.

Reinhardt, playing from in front for much of the first half, used energy in transition and interior scoring to seize early control. Tee Williams ignited the crowd with a fast-break slam at the 12:48 mark to push the Eagles in front, and Derrick Brown later powered home a dunk with 6:57 left in the half to give Reinhardt its first double-digit cushion at 26-18. Williams and Brown have been leading the Eagles over the past month and the it was the same against Columbia.

Junior Forward Blake Seitz capped the opening 20 minutes with a layup in the closing seconds, sending the Eagles into halftime with a 33-30 lead.

Columbia answered after the break with a sustained surge that swung momentum. O'Bannon started the charge with a dunk off an Austin Harrell feed at 16:37 to pull the visitors within one, 36-35. The Koalas were able to tie the game momentarily around the 14-minute mark.  A few minutes later, Jamison McKenzie knocked down a jumper that stretched Columbia's advantage to 48-40 as part of a key second-half run. O'Bannon later muscled in a layup in traffic with 7:03 to play, giving Columbia a 57-55 edge as the lead continued to trade hands down the stretch.

Reinhardt continued to respond behind Brown and Williams, tightening up defensively and winning the turnover battle to stay in front late. The Eagles forced 15 Columbia turnovers while committing only six, and their activity at the rim helped produce nine steals and five blocked shots. Brown and Williams repeatedly answered Columbia baskets with drives and finishes, and Reinhardt converted at the foul line, going 15-for-19 (78.9%) to remain within one possession throughout the final minutes.

Brown was solid from start to finish, helping Reinhardt with 21 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line while adding two blocks. Williams provided a strong complement on the wing, totaling 17 points and eight rebounds on 7-for-12 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range. As a team, Reinhardt shot 45.3% from the floor (24-for-53) and finished 4-for-16 from beyond the arc, while being edged on the glass 40-29 by Columbia's size and aggressiveness.

Shooting guard Jackson Sousa gave the Eagles some energy late to keep the score close with a few steals and converted layups. He was 4 for 8 from the field and dropped in 9 points for the Eagles. Seitz was just behind Sousa with 7 points, including a second-half slam, giving the Eagles some momentum halfway through.

Despite the one-point defeat, Reinhardt's ability to build an early double-digit lead, force turnovers, and get strong production from Brown and Williams highlighted a performance that kept the Eagles in position to win until the final seconds. The Eagles will need to put this game behind them and start to focus on Union Commonwealth Bulldogs, who will be in Waleska on Wednesday evening for another AAC matchup.