Rio women start fast, wallop Warriors

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Kaylee Darnell recorded the third triple-double performance of her career to lead four double-digit scorers for the University of Rio Grande in a 107-62 thumping of Webber International (Fla.) University, Saturday afternoon, in the final round of the 41st Annual Bevo Francis Invitational at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     Rio Grande, ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll, improved to 4-0 with the victory.
     The visting Warriors dropped to 1-4 with a fourth straight loss.
     Darnell finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the RedStorm, who led 10-0 out of the gate and by 18 points, 28-10, at the close of the opening quarter.
     The Wheelersburg, Ohio junior now trails fellow Wheelersburg High product Sydney Holden by only one for the most triple-doubles in Rio program history.
     Webber International got no closer than 14 points over the course of the final three periods and trailed by 20 points at halftime, by 39 after three quarters and by as many as 57 points with 3:15 remaining in the game after senior Jocelyn Abraham (Exchange, WV) hit one of two free throws to make it 104-47.
     Junior Lexi Woods (Waverly, OH) netted 19 points of her own in the win and narrowly missed a double-double by finishing with nine rebounds.
     Senior Reagan Willingham (Ashville, OH) added 17 points and sophomore Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH) finished with 16 points for Rio Grande, which shot 55.6 percent (40-for-72) and had every player in uniform score for the second straight outing.
     Webber International shot just 32.8 percent overall (22-for-67), while going 7-for-24 from three-point range (29.2%) and 11-for-18 at the foul line (61.1%).
     The Warriors were also outrebounded, 55-33, and committed 22 turnovers.
     Jaiden Ross led Webber off the bench with 15 points, while Nevaeh Hillmon added 13 point, Jermaisa Klopsis had six rebounds and four steals and Samantha Pacheco added five assists.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Tuesday night when it hosts Penn State-Beaver for a 6 p.m. tipoff.
     The contest was not on the RedStorm's original schedule, but was added when Wilberforce University backed out of an early December date.