Eagles Secure AAC Runners-Up in Tournament

Kingsport, Tenn. — Reinhardt mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback behind timely 3-point shooting, but Milligan held on at the free-throw line for a 64-62 win for the AAC Championship Game. 

Trailing by 11 in the second quarter and still down seven with just over a minute to play, the Eagles strung together a series of clutch shots to pull within one possession in the closing seconds. Milligan's McKenna Myers knocked down two free throws with five seconds remaining to make it 64-59, and although I'ziah McCutchins buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Reinhardt ran out of time on its comeback bid.

Londaisha Smith led Reinhardt with a game-high 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds as the Eagles worked to erase Milligan's advantage on the glass. McCutchins and Audrey Ekoue-Bla each finished with 11 points, with both hitting critical shots late in the fourth quarter. McCutchins went 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and dished out four assists, while Ekoue-Bla provided steady scoring, going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line and knocking down a key 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds.

Reinhardt trailed 29-20 at halftime after Milligan used a 14-4 stretch in the second quarter, fueled by 3-pointers from Lina Lyon, Naomi Atchley and Callie Reeder, to open up its largest lead of the afternoon at 25-14. The Eagles responded in the third quarter, outscoring Milligan 17-16, as Mackenzie Franklin and McCutchins sparked a brief run to cut the deficit to 31-27 before another Milligan surge pushed the margin back to seven entering the fourth.

The Eagles' best basketball came in the final 10 minutes. Reinhardt put up 25 fourth-quarter points, attacking the paint and spacing the floor from the perimeter. Smith continued to score at the rim, while McCutchins and Ekoue-Bla stretched the defense from deep. With the Eagles down 51-44 after a Caroline Krueger 3-pointer with 6:13 to play, Reinhardt answered by grinding out stops and converting on the offensive end, eventually closing to 62-59 on Ekoue-Bla's 3-pointer with 10 seconds left and McCutchins' deep buzzer-beater to end the game.

Team-wide, Reinhardt shot 39.3% from the field (24-for-61) and 33.3% from 3-point range (6-for-18), while converting 8 of 13 free throws. The Eagles held a 36-28 edge in points in the paint and assisted on 14 of their 24 field goals, but were outrebounded 44-30 and saw Milligan knock down 10 3-pointers on 38.5% shooting from long distance. Reinhardt turned it over 12 times compared to Milligan's 20, turning those extra possessions into 11 points off turnovers to help fuel the late push.

Despite the narrow loss, the performance showcased the Eagles' resilience and offensive balance, highlighted by Smith's efficiency and the perimeter shooting of McCutchins and Ekoue-Bla. With the regular season winding down, Reinhardt will look to build on the fourth-quarter surge and cleaner execution on both ends as it turns attention to its next contest. Eagles are looking to bounce back when they found out their opponent in the 2025-2026 NAIA National Tournament.