COLUMBIA, S.C. -- CIU women's basketball took the court Tuesday evening to tip-off against Reinhardt University (Ga.). The games final result was historic because for the first time in program history, the Rams took down the Eagles, pulling out a  56-41 win. As a result, within the last four days, CIU has defeated the second and fourth-place teams in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings (CIU defeated second-place Milligan on Saturday). The Rams improve to 13-12 on the season and 12-9 in AAC play. 

Jaylyn Twitty got things going for CIU with a layup in the paint less than 30 seconds into the contest. The lead would change seven times in the first ten minutes, but the Rams were up 14-13 after the first. Both teams put up 13 points in the second, but CIU's lead from the previous period gave them the advantage (27-26) going into the half. 

The Rams' locked down defensively after the break as they held the Eagles to 15 points in the final 20 minutes of the game. CIU also maintained and extended their lead through the second half. The largest lead of 20 (51-31) came in the fourth at the 5:52 minute mark. 

Once again, Hannah Wilkerson was the night's leading scorer with 22 points. Tearra Cook was just one rebound shy of another double-double with nine rebounds and 10 points. Zhani Thompson continues to light up the stat sheet with a season-high of four steals and six blocks. Thompson also grabbed 12 boards and added eight points.. The Rams outrebounded the Eagles 45-38, and forced 18 turnovers while shooting 23-of-60 (38.3%) from the field. 

What Coach Danielle Fleming is saying: "This was the best defensive game we've had all season. The girls executed the game plan very well, and holding Reinhardt to 41 speaks to how well we defended our home court! Wilkerson continues to show up for us, and we're proud of her!"

Up Next:  CIU women's basketball takes a short trip to face off against cross-town rival Columbia College (S.C.) on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 5 PM.