Spartanburg Methodist College women's basketball seniors // photo by Tim Kimzey
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No. 3 seed Reinhardt led from start to finish in a 66-56 win over No. 7 seed Spartanburg Methodist College in the semifinals of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday night.
SMC (17-14) was paced by its four seniors, who have led the Pioneers all season. Halle Traylor finished with a team-high 14 points, adding three rebounds and three assists. Destiny Middleton contributed 11 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots. Zy Bell recorded seven points and three rebounds, while Najah Gilliam added five points and four rebounds in her final game in a Pioneer uniform.
Reinhardt (23-6) featured balanced scoring in the victory, led by Audrey Ekoue-Bla with 16 points and Londaisha Smith with 14.
After falling behind by as many as 12 in the third quarter, SMC mounted a push in the final 10 minutes. However, each rally was halted by timely 3-pointers from Ekoue-Bla that kept the Eagles in control.
SMC shot 75 percent (27-of-36) from the free-throw line, while Reinhardt finished 11-of-21 (52.4 percent). The Eagles controlled the glass with a 55-32 rebounding advantage. The Pioneers’ defense forced 21 turnovers, converting those opportunities into 16 points.
With the win, Reinhardt advances to Saturday’s championship game against Milligan, which secured a 64-61 victory in the other semifinal.
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