RedStorm women pummel Pomeroys

Rio Grande Sports Information
     SAINT MARY OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. - Five players scored in double figures and the University of Rio Grande shook off a slow start en route to a 112-68 thrashing of St. Mary of-the-Woods College, Saturday afternoon, in River States Conference women's basketball action at Hamilton Arena.
     The 12th-ranked RedStorm pushed their record to 15-2 overall and 7-0 in league play with the lopsided win.
     The Pomeroys slipped to 9-5 overall and 2-5 in the RSC with the loss.
     SMWC led 13-12 after a conventional three-point play by Avalee Jeffers with 2:30 left in the opening quarter, but Rio Grande scored 11 of the final 14 points in the period and never looked back.
     The RedStorm extended their lead to 57-34 by halftime and continued to play add-on over the final two quarters, stretching their cushion to 32 points after three stanzas and to as many as 50 points in the waning moments of the contest.
     Sophomore Kaylee Darnell (Wheelersburg, OH) led the offensive surge for Rio with 24 points, including 18 in the first half. She also tied for team-high honors with eight rebounds and handed out five assists.
     Senior Ella Skeens (Chillicothe, OH) scored 12 of her 15 points in the second half, while junior Lexi Woods (Waverly, OH) had 15 points of her own to go along with seven rebounds.
     Sophomore Azyiah Williams (Ripley, OH) had 12 points and handed out a game-high six assists, while senior Reagan Willingham (Ashville, OH) finished with 11 points.
     Freshmen Natalie Kalaydjiev (Vienna, Austria) and Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH) tied for team-high honors with eight rebounds and six assists, respectively. Grinstead and Skeens also blocked two shots each.
     Rio Grande finished 40-for-80 from the floor overall (50.0%) and was 27-for-33 at the foul line (81.8%), while totaling 25 assists on their 40 made baskets and committing just five turnovers.
     The RedStorm also enjoyed a 52-44 edge in rebounding.
     Brionna Sims led The Woods with 13 points off the bench, while Abby Worley added 10 points and four assists in a losing cause.
     Allyson Hardiek and Haley Polston had seven rebounds each for the Pomeroys.
     SMWC shot just 31.9 percent from the floor (23-for-72) and went just 16-for-27 at the foul line (59.3%), while its 19 turnovers helped Rio Grande enjoy a whopping 31-4 advantage in points off of the miscues.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Tuesday at Midway University in a rematch of last season's RSC Tournament championship game.
     Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at Marshall Gymnasium in Midway, Ky.