Eagles Force Union to Many Turnovers in 62-33 WIN at Home
January 15, 2026
Waleska, GA- Reinhardt used a dominant defensive effort and a steady wire-to-wire performance to cruise past Union Commonwealth 62-33 on Wednesday night at home.
The Eagles seized control early with a 17-8 lead in the opening quarter and never trailed, turning pressure-defense into offense and capitalizing on Union Commonwealth's mistakes. Reinhardt outscored Union Commonwealth in every quarter, punctuating the win with a 23-point fourth quarter that pushed the final margin to 29. Union Commonwealth was plagued by 35 turnovers, which Reinhardt converted into 34 points, effectively deciding the game.
I'ziah McCutchins led Reinhardt with 15 points, 5 assists and 3 steals, efficiently shooting 6-for-11 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. McCutchins set the tone in the first quarter, knocking down an early 3-pointer at the 7:48 mark to help Reinhardt to a quick 5-0 start. Just before the horn, Trea Blalock buried a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the first quarter, pushing the Eagles' lead to 17-8 and sending them into the break with momentum firmly in hand.
Reinhardt continued to build on that edge in the second quarter. McCutchins opened the frame with another 3-pointer at 9:20 to make it 20-8, and the Eagles kept Union Commonwealth at arm's length the rest of the half, taking a 27-18 lead into the locker room. While Union Commonwealth found occasional answers behind baskets from Lindsey Pirkle and free throws from Ella Coffey, Reinhardt's ball pressure and ability to force turnovers consistently disrupted any rhythm for the visitors.
The Eagles' defense remained the story after halftime. Reinhardt limited Union Commonwealth to 9 points in the third quarter while protecting and gradually extending the lead. Key layups from Chloe and Lana VanDyke helped stretch the advantage to 35-20 midway through the third, and Reinhardt carried a 37-27 cushion into the final quarter. From there, the Eagles closed the door with a decisive surge, highlighted by another McCutchins 3-pointer at 9:27 of the fourth and a string of scores that grew the lead to its largest at 62-33 on a late layup and free throws from Haley Johnson with 11 seconds remaining.
Offensively, Reinhardt shot 42.9% from the field (24-for-56) and 38.9% from 3-point range (7-for-18), sharing the ball for 12 assists. Emariah Grant added 12 points in 26 minutes, going 4-for-11 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line, while Londaisha Smith provided 9 points and 2 steals on 4-for-7 shooting. The Eagles also received 19 points from the bench and scored 28 points in the paint, complementing their work on the perimeter.
Union Commonwealth finished 13-for-38 (34.2%) from the field and just 1-for-9 from 3-point range. Pirkle paced Union Commonwealth with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in 27 minutes, and Aymanni Wynn contributed 7 points on 3-for-3 shooting along with 7 rebounds. Union Commonwealth held a 39-27 advantage on the glass and produced 9 second-chance points, but the high turnover total limited scoring opportunities and prevented any sustained comeback attempt.
With the 62-33 victory, Reinhardt reinforced its identity around pressure defense and opportunistic offense, using turnovers and perimeter shooting to control the game from the opening quarter through the final buzzer. This win helped the Eagles move to 12-5 and 9-1 in conference. The Eagles are back home this Saturday, January 17th to face Montreat College.