Skyhawks turn it on late to defeat Reinhardt
WALESKA, Ga. (Jan. 26, 2022) – The Point University women's basketball team trailed by 11 points entering the final quarter of Wednesday night's Appalachian Athletic Conference matchup against in-state rival Reinhardt, but a 15-4 run would tie the score at 63, and Point would go on to defeat Reinhardt 70-68.
"Today, we talked about adversity and how it does not build character, but it reveals it," Head Coach Tory Wooley said. "I'm proud of how our ladies stayed together through adversity and beat a great team on the road. It's a testimony of our players' character to compete when down by almost 20 points. We had great production from our bench, and our four seniors (Nicole, Iyanna, Marta and Tasha) led us to victory."
Game flow
The Eagles took a demanding 20-8 lead after the first quarter, and the Skyhawks were able to pick up their offensive efforts in the second quarter by scoring 25 points, but Reinhardt scored 24 points in the second quarter, and Point trailed by 11 at the half (44-33). Both teams scored 15 points apiece in the third quarter before Point turned it on in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Eagles 22-9.
Nicole Izuagie began Point's comeback with a 3-pointer to start the quarter. With 5:30 remaining in the game, Izuagie scored another triple and a little over a minute later, Iyanna McMillan scored a 3-pointer, cutting Reinhardt's lead down to three (63-60). McMillan would connect for another 3-pointer to the game and a free throw from Hannah Williams would earn Point its first lead of the night with 2:27 remaining.
With 22 seconds remaining, Reinhardt tied the score at 68, following a free throw from Abi Haynes, but a Reinhardt foul with three seconds remaining would send Williams to the free throw line, where she would sink both shots to give Point a two-point lead. The Eagles would attempt a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, but Reinhardt's efforts fell short, and the Skyhawks walked away victorious.
In the box
McMillan had a game-high of 22 points, going 8-for-19 from the field, 3-for-7 from perimeter shooting, and 3-for-4 from the free throw line. Izuagie followed with 16 points, going 5-for-8, 3-for-6 from the perimeter and 3-for-5 from the free throw line. Marta Gimenez was the last Skyhawk in the double-digit scoring column with 11 points and added four assists to her stat line. Williams recorded nine points and four assists.
In defensive efforts, Sheyvonne Owens and Tasha Jackson recorded seven and six rebounds, respectively, Williams recorded three steals, and Izuagie and Gimenez finished with two steals apiece.
Up next
With the win, Point advances to 15-3 (11-3 AAC).
The Skyhawks' next game will be on Saturday, Jan. 29, as they travel to St. Andrews for an AAC matchup at 2 p.m.