Brown, Williams Power Reinhardt Past Milligan 87-77 Behind Dominant Free-Throw Edge

Milligan, TN - Reinhardt Men's Basketball used a dominant night at the free-throw line and double-doubles from Derrick Brown, Tee Williams, Jackson Sousa, and Arael Jones to pull away late for an 87-77 road win over Milligan on Monday night at Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. The win helped the Eagles hold onto the final spots of the AAC Tournament, which will start next week after the weekend game at Bluefield University.

The Eagles built a double-digit lead by halftime, then answered multiple Milligan rallies in the second half before sealing the game at the stripe. Brown finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four steals, capping his night with two free throws in the final seconds to push the margin to the final 10-point spread. Williams added 19 points and 10 rebounds as Reinhardt outscored the Buffaloes 32-10 at the line and shot 32-for-43 on free throws.

Sousa had 12 points as the starting shooting guard for the Eagles, and backup point guard Arael Jones dropped in 15 points.  Jones had an outstanding night, taking it to the rim and drawing fouls.  He shot an impressive 9-11 from the charity stripe.

Milligan struck first, racing out to an early 17-7 advantage behind hot perimeter shooting, including a 3-pointer from Elijah Bredwood that pushed the Buffaloes ahead 5-0 less than two minutes into the game. Reinhardt settled in midway through the first half, tightening up defensively and attacking the paint. The Eagles methodically erased the deficit and closed the half on a key surge, highlighted by a three-point play from Jones in the final minute that sent Reinhardt into the break with a 40-29 lead.

The Buffaloes opened the second half with another push, using a 3-pointer from Te'Jon McDaniel-McCormick just 11 seconds after the break to trim the Reinhardt lead to 40-34. Each time Milligan closed the gap, however, Reinhardt responded with interior scoring and pressure defense. Brown's steal and assist on a fast-break layup with 17:56 remaining rebuilt a double-digit cushion at 46-36 and underscored the Eagles' ability to turn defense into offense.

Milligan continued to battle, fueled by Bredwood's 23 points and five 3-pointers and a 20-point, 13-rebound performance from McDaniel-McCormick. The Buffaloes, who finished 11-for-38 from beyond the arc, made one final charge in the closing minute. Sergej Cvetkovic knocked down a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left to cut the deficit to 82-77, but that was as close as Milligan would get.

Reinhardt closed the door at the line, scoring the game's final five points from the stripe. Brown calmly sank two free throws with six seconds left to restore a comfortable margin, finishing off a night in which the Eagles shot 49.1% from the field while holding Milligan to 36.8%. Jones also played a key role for Reinhardt with his scoring and pulling down seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, as the Eagles converted second-chance opportunities and outscored Milligan inside despite trailing 43-40 on the boards.

Reinhardt's balance and efficiency ultimately proved decisive, with the Eagles getting 25 points from the bench and posting an 11-7 advantage in steals to offset Milligan's edge on the offensive glass. By controlling the paint, winning the free-throw battle, and delivering key defensive plays in the second half, Reinhardt left Steve Lacy Fieldhouse with a solid 87-77 victory and momentum heading into its next contest.

The Eagles have secured their postseason conference tournament spot, but can still move up one place with a win at Bluefield on Saturday and a loss by Bryan this week.  Reinhardt is tied with Bryan currently, with the final conference game to play.  The Eagles do have one nonconference game on Wednesday at Georgia Gwinnett, which does not have a bearing on the regular season outcome.

To see the conference standings, please see the link below.  The final tournament bracket will be released on Sunday after all the games finish up this weekend.

https://www.aacsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/standings