Cheeks’ double-double helps Reinhardt defeat Milligan
From college reports WALESKA, Ga.
– Women’s basketball bounced right back up after dropping its first game of the season with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) triumph over visiting Milligan (Tenn.), 80-54, inside the Brown Athletic Center thanks to five players scoring in double-figures.
No. 19 Reinhardt is back in the win column and is now 5-1 on the year with a 2-1 mark within the AAC.
“It was good to see our team bounce back from Thursday,” head coach Lindsey Huffman said. “We played with a lot more intensity and focus, and I thought our defensive effort was great; it definitely fueled us offensively.
“I was very proud of our all-around effort and mentality tonight.”
The Eagles were laser-focus on both ends of the floor as they seemed determined to do whatever it took to erase the bad taste in their mouth from their previous outing, and they did just that, outscoring the Buffaloes in every quarter of the game.
Reinhardt held strong to a 38-27 halftime advantage and didn’t look back. Bethany Headrick’s team-high 14 points off the bench helped her club put things away in the second half – including a 22-10 fourth period – as the Eagles shot an astounding 10-of-14 from the land of plenty.
Former Sonoraville High standout Rebecca Cheeks earned a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, while Jaleya Mosley also netted 12 points of her own and a game-best six steals (out of the team’s 19. That kind of defensive pressure kept Milligan on its toes all night, resulting in 31.9 percent from the floor (15-for-47).
The Eagles’ bench came up big with 34 points, and offensive rebounding played a key role as well as they racked up 17 second-chance points in the win and 26 points off turnovers.
As a group, the home team shot over 40 percent and made 12 free throws in 17 chances.
In other recent college basketball action involving former local players:
Cheeks scores 14 to help Lee to 4-0 start
It will not go down as one of the better performances by the Lee women’s basketball team but the Lady Flames will take a perfect 4-0 record into the short Thanksgiving break, traveling to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and be pitted against a pair of Sunshine State Conference club in Embry Riddle and Nova Southeastern.
The 63-52 victory over visiting North Greenville University (S.C.) was not exactly what coach Marty Rowe was seeking from his talented Lady Flames on Saturday afternoon inside Walker Arena. “We’ve got to give a lot of credit to North Greenville and how they competed today,” the veteran coach pointed out. “We didn’t play with as much urgency today as we have the first three games, so we feel fortunate to get away with a win today.
“We’ll need to refocus and come back with a great week of practice in getting ready for two really good teams in Florida,” Rowe added.
Senior and former Sonoraville High standout Carrie Cheeks made 5-of-8 shots from the field, but converted only 4-of-9 free throws in leading the Lee scoring with 14 points as the Lady Flames led 31-24 at the half and enjoyed their largest margin of 14 points with 4:57 left in the contest.
Senior Erin Walsh ripped the nets with three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. Walsh also went to the glass for nine rebounds as the Lady Flames won the battle of the boards 44-34. Lindsey Roddy and Taylor Boggess tossed in six markers apiece. Nicky Widenski came on in reserve to give her teammates a lift with six rebounds.
Overall Lee shot 34 percent from the field and made 16-of-27 charity tosses. Turnovers hurt both squads. Lee was guilty of 17 and North Greenville 20.
The Crusaders Karen Donehew took the game’s top scoring honors with 17. Bailey Breazeale tossed in eight points to go along with eight rebounds.
Kathleen Rogers and Savannah Hughes pitched in with eight scorers apiece.
North Greenville outshot the Lady Flames, making 40 percent (23of-57) of their field goal attempts, but the Crusaders were only 3-of-12 from behind the arc and 3-of-7 from the charity stripe.
Waters scores 21 in GNTC loss
A flurry of three-pointers by the Tennessee Wesleyan University JV squad late in the first half proved to be a big blow for the Georgia Northwestern Bobcats as they dropped a 95-67 decision on the road Tuesday afternoon in Athens.
The Bobcats stayed within striking distance for most of the first half and trailed by just eight points with just less than five minutes to go. But the Bulldogs would drain four consecutive threes to push the lead to double digits and they would go on to take a 47-26 lead at the break.
Georgia Northwestern would play even with the home team for the first 12 minutes of the second half, but the Bobcats would pull away for good with a 20-10 run that pushed the lead to 31 with just under three minutes remaining.
The Bobcats were also forced into 21 turnovers.
Former Sonoraville High standout Bryce Waters had a team-high 21 points, while Tyler Phillips had 13 points and seven rebounds. Micah Wheeler had nine points and seven boards, while Cole McKeehan finished with eight points.
Kolbi Suttles and J.T. Langford had five points each, followed by Deontae Jackson with four and Davian Wheeler with two.
The Bobcats fell to 2-5 on the season with a third straight loss. They will look to break the streak at home on Nov. 28 as the Covenant College JV team will pay a visit to the Rossville Athletic Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.