RedStorm women bounce Bearcats

Rio Grande Sports Information
     OWENSBORO, Ky. - University of Rio Grande head coach David Smalley got exactly what he wanted from his team in the opening game of its long weekend road trip.
     The veteran bench boss watched his club take control early, which allowed for plenty of opportunities to substitute, and the RedStorm blitzed host Brescia University, 97-47, Thursday night, in River States Conference women's basketball action at the Moore Center.
     Rio Grande, ranked No. 11 in the latest NAIA coaches' Top 25 poll, ran its record to 18-2 overall and 10-0 in league play with a fourth straight win - its 61st triumph in the last 68 outings dating back to Jan. 16, 2021.
     The Bearcats fell to 2-17 overall and 1-9 in the RSC with the loss.
     Rio Grande led just 12-10 after a bucket by Brescia's Madelyn Lyon with 5:29 left in the first quarter, but the RedStorm closed the period on an 18-9 run for an 11-point cushion and never looked back.
     The lead grew to 26 points by halftime, 51-25, and ballooned to 40 - 73-33 - at the close of the third stanza.
     Rio's largest advantage of the night was 53 points, 93-40, after a basket by freshman Grace Forrest (Mechanicsburg, OH) with 1:46 remaining in the game.
     All 13 players in uniform saw action for the RedStorm and all scored, including junior Aleea Crites (Parkersburg, WV), who played for the first time after missing 13 games due to a foot injury. She finished with four points and as many rebounds in limited action.
     Senior Ella Skeens (Chillicothe, OH) led a quartet of double-digit scorers with a game-high 19 points, while fellow senior Reagan Willingham (Ashville, OH) and freshman Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH) netted 11 points each and sophomore Kaylee Darnell (Wheelersburg, OH) tossed in 10 points.
     Rio finished 40-for-72 overall (55.6%) and had 28 assists as a team on its 40 made baskets.
     Junior Lavender Ward (Charleston, WV) had a game-best seven assists and shared game-high honors with Skeens by collecting four steals.
     Skeens, Ward and Grinstead also had two blocked shots apiece, while junior Lexi Woods (Waverly, OH) had a team-high nine rebounds to help the RedStorm to a 45-38 edge in that category.
     Brescia hit six of its 14 field goal attempts in the opening quarter, but went just 11-for-48 over the final three periods (22.9%) and finished the game at 27.4 percent (17-for-62). That figure included a 1-for-12 effort from three-point range.
     The Bearcats also committed 26 turnovers in the loss.
     Lindsey Peyton had 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in a losing cause and was the only Brescia player to hit double figures.
     Hannah Sykora handed out four assists for the Bearcats, while Lyon totaled eight points, four blocked shots and three steals.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Saturday in a matchup that may very well determine who hosts the RSC Tournament championship game next month, should both teams advance to the final.
     The RedStorm will be at Oakland City University in a battle of the league's two remaining unbeatens, with tipoff scheduled for Noon EDT.