Second Half Stumble Gives Rams the Win

Waleska, GA - The Eagles were coming off a three-game AAC win streak and they were 5-1 in their last six games. Tonight's game with Bluefield seemed like it was going to continue in favor of the Eagles after the first half, however, turnovers and cold shooting in the second half let the game go to Bluefield, 75-69. 

The first ten minutes of the first half saw both teams struggling to get shots to go in. At the fifteen-minute mark, the Eagles enjoyed a six-to-zero lead and at the ten-minute mark, the score only improved to 12-9 in favor of the Eagles. The effort was definitely there from both teams and at times the game was very physical and fast - but neither team was able to score.

In the final ten minutes of the first half, the scoring would pick up slightly and the Eagles would enjoy their largest lead of the game, 22-13, on a Tafari Thomas three-pointer. The Rams would catch back up on scoring from point guard, Elijah White, getting the score to within four points of the Eagles, but they never could actually catch them. The Eagles would enjoy a comfortable 37-28 lead at the halftime break.

The Eagles would keep their lead early in the second half and extend it to twelve points on a Jalin Wimberly layup. Wimberly would lead the Eagles once again in scoring with 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting. He struggled from the three-point line going 0-3 as did all of the Eagles in this game. In the game, the Eagles would go 4-22 from the three-point line, which is one of their worst nights behind the three-point arch and is a big reason they ended up on the losing end of the game.

The Eagles enjoyed the lead in the game for the first ten minutes of the second half, but the once twelve-point lead got dwindled down to just four points and then three around the ten-minute mark. The lead would finally change hands to the Rams with exactly nine minutes left in the half on a layup by White giving the Rams their first lead of the game 51-50.

The score would stay close the remainder of the game with each team trading the lead a few times and the score never really getting out of the two-point lead area, however, with just two minutes left in the game - the Rams were able to establish a six-point lead at 66-60 and the pressure in the game went up a notch. The Eagles had to play catch up in the final two minutes and they were able to get the score to just a three-point lead with forty seconds left, but the Rams would extend the lead again to five points. With just ten seconds left in the game, Bluefield would finally cough the ball up on their end with a steal by Greg Hobbs who quickly passed it to a cutting Jamison Syphore who score a layup and got the lead to just two at 71-69. In the final ten seconds, the Eagles could not take advantage of a three-point play and the Rams were able to hit all of their free throws to finish out the game.

Wimberly was accompanied by Nate Louis as being the only Eagles in scoring double figures. They had several that were stuck at 8 points, but too many missed opportunities kept the Eagles from getting multiple players in double figures scoring, and ultimately, it cost them the game.

The Eagles will have two exhibition games this week before taking a break at Christmas. After the break, they will come back before the New Year to play a non-conference game with NAIA opponent, Tennessee Southern, on New Year's Eve. After the New Year hits, the Eagles will go back into conference play with Union which is one of the top teams in the AAC. It should be a good game for the Eagles and a chance to knock off a team that is in front of them.