Rio women cause double vision in win over OCU

Rio Grande Sports Information
     CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio - If Saturday afternoon marked the University of Rio Grande's last trip to the Maxwell Center for the foreseeable future, it's safe to say that the RedStorm left host Ohio Christian University seeing double.
     Two Rio players recorded double-double performances and two others finished with double-digit scoring outings as the RedStorm posted a 107-88 triumph over the Trailblazers in River States Conference women's basketball's action.
     Rio Grande, ranked No. 14 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll, improved to 9-2 overall and 3-0 in conference play with the win - its 18th in 20 all-time meetings between the two schools.
     Ohio Christian, which is in its final season as member of the RSC and the NAIA before rejoining the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), had a four-game winning streak snapped in dropping to 5-2 overall and 0-1 against league foes.
     Junior Kaylee Darnell (Wheelersburg, OH) led the RedStorm's winning effort with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while fellow junior Lexi Woods (Waverly, OH) had 18 points and a career-high 21 rebounds.
     Rio also got 22 points, five assists and a game-high three steals from senior Reagan Willingham (Ashville, OH), while junior Harlei Antritt (Newark, OH) added 12 points off the bench.
     All 13 players in uniform for Rio Grande saw action and 10 scored.
     The RedStorm never trailed in the contest, leading by 10 points at the end of the first quarter and pushing the cushion to 20 points by halftime.
     The advantage grew to as many as 28 points, 94-66, after an offensive rebound and stickback by Antritt with 4:12 left to play, although OCU refused to go away quietly and sliced the deficit to 12 points, 100-88, after a rare four-point play by reigning RSC Player of the Week Haley Cox with 38.9 seconds remaining.
     Rio Grande, which also got six assists from junior Azyiah Williams (Ripley, OH) and five assists from junior Marina Garcia Perez (Leon, Spain), closed the game on a 7-0 run to set the final score.
     Head coach David Smalley's squad went just 5-for-22 from three-point range (22.7%) and 18-for-26 at the foul line (69.2%), but shot 44 percent overall (42-for-95) and held a commanding 65-35 edge in rebounding.
     Rio also committed just 12 turnovers.
     Cox tied a season- and career-high with 35 points to lead Ohio Christian, while Emma Koons had a season-high 25 points to go along with a team-best eight rebounds and two steals.
     Ashley DeWeese added 11 points and five assists for the Trailblazers, who went 31-for-77 overall (40.3%) and 9-for-33 from three-point range (27.3%).
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 12, when it hosts Alice Lloyd College for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff at the Newt Oliver Arena.