RedStorm women wallop Alice Lloyd

Rio Grande Sports Information
     PIPPA PASSES, Ky. - For all of the success that the University of Rio Grande women's basketball program has enjoyed over the years, life hasn't always been easy for head coach David Smalley's squad when visiting Alice Lloyd College and playing in front of its self-anointed "Caney Creek Crazies".
     But in their final trek to the hollows of eastern Kentucky for the foreseeable future, the RedStorm found themselves dealing out a serious dose of sanity.
     Kaylee Darnell scored a game-high 31 points, while Jasmine Jordan added 29 points and 11 rebounds of her own as Rio Grande outscored the host Eagles in each of the first three quarters and cruised to a 102-71 victory, Tuesday night, in River States Conference play at the Perry Campus Center.
     The RedStorm, ranked No. 15 in the most recent NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll, improved to 22-5 overall and 12-3 in league play with the win.
     Alice Lloyd, which is leaving the RSC at the conclusion of the basketball season, dropped to 10-16 overall and 5-10 against conference foes and was officially eliminated from post-season play as a result of the loss.
     Rio Grande trailed by two points on three separate occasions inside the game's opening five minutes, but grabbed a lead it would never relinquish when a steal and layup by Darnell - a senior from Wheelersburg, Ohio - with 4:13 left in the period made it 17-15.
     The go-ahead bucket kickstarted what blossomed into a 16-4 run by the RedStorm.
     Rio led by as many as 24 points late in half before settling on a 23-point cushion, 60-37, at the intermission.
     The lead continued to grow over the third stanza and reached its apex of 44 points, 91-47, on a tip-in by Jordan - a freshman from Ashland, Ky. - in the waning seconds of the quarter.
     Alice Lloyd took a significant chunk out of the deficit in the fourth period, but got no closer than 28 points with just over a minute to play.
     Darnell accounted for all but one of Rio's five three-pointers, surpassing the 30-point mark for the second straight outings and for the sixth time this season. She also tied for team honors with three steals.
     Jordan finished 10-for-12 from the floor and 9-for-9 at the foul line. The double-double was her 21st such performance of the season.
     The RedStorm also got 13 points from senior Harlei Antritt (Newark, OH), 10 assists from senior Azyiah Williams (Ripley, OH) and four steals from junior Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH).
     Freshman Payton Johnson (Peebles, OH) equaled Darnell with three steals.
     Rio finished 33-for-67 overall (49.3%) and 31-for-48 at the foul line (64.6%).
     Alice Lloyd shot just 39 percent overall (23-for-59) and 20 percent from three-point range (5-for-25), while also committing 28 turnovers.
     Jamie Cowan led the Eagles with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Bailey Stewart had 16 points and four assists and Katie Marcum finished with 11 points.
     Rio Grande is slated to return to action on Saturday when it closes out regular season play with a Senior Day matchup against Indiana University East.
     Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. at the Newt Oliver Arena.