Union Commonwealth Falls to Reinhardt in AAC Matchup

WALESKA, Ga. - Union Commonwealth University's women's basketball team (4-15, 3-9 AAC) fell to Reinhardt University (13-5, 10-1 AAC) on Wednesday evening at Brown Athletic Center, 33-62. 

Sophomore center Lindsey Pirkle led Union with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Freshman forward Aymanni Wynn added 7 points and 7 rebounds, while junior guard Rachel Smith and freshman forward Kylie Noe each contributed 6 points. Noe also chipped in 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

How It Happened

First Quarter: Union Commonwealth 8, Reinhardt 17

Union opened the game slowly as Reinhardt jumped out to an early 5-0 run behind outside shooting and free throws, eventually building an 11-point lead. The Bulldogs found a spark midway through the period when Pirkle knocked down a jumper at the 6:24 mark, followed by a three-pointer from Smith late in the quarter to cut the deficit to five. Reinhardt answered with a late three to take a nine-point advantage into the second quarter.

Second Quarter: Union Commonwealth 18, Reinhardt 29

Union tried to build momentum early in the second quarter but struggled to close the gap as Reinhardt stretched its lead to 16 points. The Bulldogs sparked briefly with jumpers from Pirkle midway through the period and free throws from sophomore guard Ella Coffey at 0:53, cutting the deficit to 9. Reinhardt answered with a late basket to take an 18-29 lead into halftime.

Third Quarter: Union Commonwealth 27, Reinhardt 39

Noe opened the third quarter with an early layup, but Reinhardt quickly answered with two baskets to maintain control. Union sparked a 7-point run at 5:51 on another layup by Noe, holding the Eagles scoreless for nearly five minutes and cutting the deficit to eight. Reinhardt closed the quarter with late scoring, and the Bulldogs headed into the fourth trailing 27-39.

Fourth Quarter: Union Commonwealth 33, Reinhardt 62

Reinhardt pulled away early in the final period, but Union kept fighting, with Wynn scoring consecutive layups and Coffey adding points later in the quarter. Reinhardt answered with a 9-0 run in the closing minutes, securing a 62-33 victory.

Up Next

The Bulldogs will travel to Bridges Arena to take on Spartanburg Methodist on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2:00pm.