McCloud ties school record as RedStorm tops Kokomo

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Given his scoring prowess over the last 8-10 games, University of Rio Grande men's basketball senior guard Delon McCloud was eager to put his 0-for-8 showing from three-point range in Thursday night's gut-wrenching home loss to Midway University in the rear view mirror.
     And with River States Conference West Division leader Indiana University Kokomo providing the opposition on Saturday afternoon, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native did exactly that - and then some.
     McCloud scored 32 of his game- and career-high 37 points in the opening half getting the RedStorm off to a commanding start and paving the way for an eventual 84-71 win over the Cougars.
     Rio Grande improved to 14-12 overall and 9-5 in the RSC with the win, keeping alive their hopes of hosting a first round game in the upcoming RSC Tournament in the process.
     The RedStorm exacted as small measure of revenge, too, after the Cougars dealt head coach Ryan Arrowood's squad a season-ending loss in last season's RSC Tournament quarterfinals.
     IU Kokomo, which was among the school receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll, slipped to 20-6 overall and into a tie for first place in the RSC West at 10-4.
     McCloud was a nearly unconscious 11-for-15 from the floor in the first half, including 9-for-11 from distance. He finished 13-for-21 overall and 10-for-14 from beyond the three-point arc.
     McCloud's 10 trifectas tied the school record originally set by P.J. Rase in a 95-51 win over Virginia Intermont on Nov. 27, 2009 and later equaled by Will Hill in a 104-90 win over Marian (Ind.) on Dec. 10, 2017.
     The big first half by McCloud took the focus off of his teammates after halftime and allowed three of them to join him in double figures.
     Senior guard Trey Robertson (Waverly, OH) finished with 15 points, a game-high seven assists and two steals, while fellow senior Jaelin Johnson (Fairmont, WV) added 15 of his own to surpass the 1,000-point for his collegiate career.
     Senior Jaylin Fox (South Haven, MI) completed the quartet with 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals off the bench, while junior James Wright had 10 rebounds.
     IU Kokomo's Patric Maston connected on a three-pointer just 36 seconds into the contest to give the visitors an early lead, but consecutive triples by McCloud and Robertson on Rio's first two possessions of the game gave the hosts a lead they would never relinquish.
     The RedStorm twice led by 20 points in the opening half before settling for a 52-34 halftime cushion.
     The 23-point margin of victory represented the largest lead of the day.
     Rio Grande finished the game 33-for-71 overall (46.5%) and 18-for-39 (46.2%) from beyond the three-point arc, while also going a perfect 10-for-10 at the foul line.
     The 18 three-pointers represented the most in a game for the RedStorm since canning 19 in a win over Wilmington College in a 108-58 win on Nov. 1, 2022.
     Kokomo actually shot the ball better than its host overall, going 28-for-58 (48.3%), but went just 5-for-24 from distance (20.8%).
     Freshman Alonzo Clawson-Smith had 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists to lead the Cougars, while Matson contributed 16 points and Joseph Annan, Jr. tallied 11 in a losing cause.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Tuesday night when it hosts Indiana University East for a 6 p.m. tipoff.