Women’s Lacrosse Edged Late at SCAD Savannah, 16-14

Savannah, Ga. - Reinhardt University could not withstand a late surge from SCAD Savannah, falling 16-14 in a back-and-forth women's lacrosse matchup Saturday afternoon. The Eagles carried an 11-10 lead into the fourth quarter, but SCAD's McKinsey Brown scored multiple times down the stretch, including a late free-position, man-up goal that helped secure the final margin.

Brown finished with eight goals on 12 shots to pace SCAD, which outscored Reinhardt 6-3 in the fourth quarter. The decisive sequence came in the final minutes, with the game sitting at 14-14 after a series of traded goals. Brown put the Bees ahead again with 4:56 remaining, then converted a power-play free-position chance shortly after, giving SCAD the two-goal cushion it needed to close out the contest.

Reinhardt's attack produced 14 goals on 28 shots, led by a five-point day from Marissa Davis, who posted three goals and two assists. Emma Perritte added two goals and one assist, including a key free-position strike with 17 seconds left in the third quarter that pushed the Eagles to an 11-10 advantage heading into the final frame. Izzy Prestia also netted a pair of timely goals, scoring late in the first quarter for a 4-2 lead and again on the power play in the third to make it 9-8.

The Eagles controlled long stretches early. After SCAD's Lilah Herold opened the scoring with a free-position, man-up goal, Reinhardt responded with a 4-1 run to close the first quarter, capped by Prestia's goal with 19 seconds left. In the second quarter, Reinhardt extended the margin to 6-3 when Lainey Byrne finished off a feed from Davis at the 10:10 mark. SCAD trimmed the deficit to 8-5 at halftime on a late goal from Ellen Benintendi, setting the stage for the back-and-forth second half.

SCAD used a strong third quarter to claw back, tying the game at 8-8 on Brown's goal with 5:13 remaining in the period. Reinhardt answered as Prestia converted a power-play opportunity from Hayley Rakestraw to regain a 9-8 edge, and Perritte's free-position tally, assisted by Davis, restored a one-goal lead just before the horn. The fourth quarter belonged to SCAD, however, as Brown scored early on a free-position attempt to give the hosts a 12-11 lead and later delivered the late goals that proved decisive.

Statistically, SCAD held advantages in shots (37-28), shots on goal (30-20) and draw controls (21-10), helping the Bees generate extra possessions in the second half. Reinhardt made the most of its chances, going 4-for-5 on power-play opportunities and receiving a strong effort in goal, with Eagles keepers combining for 14 saves to keep the game within reach. Both teams finished with 13 turnovers in a tightly contested matchup.

Reinhardt now turns its attention to the remainder of their schedule as they play at New College of Florida this upcoming Saturday, February 14th, at 1pm.