Eagles Celebrate Senior Day Victory with Win Over Pikeville

Waleska, GA - The Eagles used a decisive second-quarter run and a barrage of 3-pointers to pull away from Pikeville for an 81-61 victory! 

The Eagles turned a tight 24-22 edge after the first quarter into a double-digit cushion by halftime, outscoring Pikeville 21-11 in the second quarter and never looking back. Reinhardt's largest lead reached 23 points midway through the fourth, fueled by hot perimeter shooting and a deep bench that produced 37 points.

Emariah Grant led Reinhardt with 17 points, knocking down five 3-pointers, including two in the opening minute as the Eagles jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Grant continued to stretch the defense throughout, hitting again from long range at the 8:06 mark of the third quarter to push the margin to 50-33, then drilling another 3-pointer with 7:28 left in the fourth to make it 71-48 and effectively seal the outcome.

While Grant set the tone from outside, Reinhardt's balance was evident. Audrey Ekoue-Bla added 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting and connected on two 3-pointers, including a fourth-quarter triple that helped maintain a 20-point cushion. Londaisha Smith provided a major interior presence with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, helping Reinhardt to a 38-36 edge on the boards and matching Pikeville's 28 points in the paint.

Defensively, the Eagles were sharp over the middle quarters, holding Pikeville to 11 points in the second and 13 in the third. Reinhardt forced 13 turnovers while committing only five, turning that advantage into a 19-3 edge in points off turnovers. That defensive pressure and ball security allowed the Eagles to control tempo and generate clean looks, leading to a 44.8% shooting performance from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc (9-for-21).

Pikeville stayed close early behind the play of Anika Stehbens, who finished with a game-high 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Stehbens tied the game at 22 with two free throws late in the first quarter before Reinhardt's second-unit and perimeter shooting shifted momentum. Rachel Bush added 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting and six rebounds for Pikeville, including a late 3-pointer in the final minute.

Reinhardt's bench and efficiency ultimately separated the teams. The Eagles shot 80.0% at the foul line (12-for-15) and received contributions throughout the rotation to complement the starting group. With the 20-point victory at home, the Eagles continued to showcase a formula built on balanced scoring, strong perimeter shooting and disciplined defense heading into the stretch run of the season.

This win improved them to 19-5 and 16-1 in the conference. This was their Senior Night where we recognized the seniors for the career. The Eagles will be back this Monday to face Milligan away.