Rio women use quick start to tame Nittany Lions

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Essentially, it was over as soon as it started.
     The University of Rio Grande exploded for 40 first quarter points and never looked back, cruising to a 113-53 triumph over Penn State University-Beaver, Tuesday night, in non-conference women's basketball action at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     The RedStorm, ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll, won for the fifth time in as many outings.
     The Nittany Lions slipped to 0-5 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
     The game wasn't on Rio Grande's original schedule, but came about in late summer when PSU-Beaver agreed to fill a void created when Wilberforce University pulled out of its scheduled visit to Rio on Dec. 9.
     Beaver actually enjoyed a 3-2 lead after Makitah Logan connected on a three-pointer just under a minute and a half into the contest, but the RedStorm finished the quarter on a 38-7 run and the rout was on.
     Rio Grande, which entered the game averaging just under 104 points per game, extended its lead to 43 points by halftime, to 45 at the close of the third period and to as many as 60 points - including the final margin of victory - late in the contest.
     Senior Jocelyn Abraham (Exchange, WV) made the most of her first start of the season, scoring 10 of the RedStorm's first 14 points and finishing with 18 to lead a half-dozen double-digit scorers.
     Junior Lexi Woods (Waverly, OH) netted 16 points, senior Reagan Willingham (Ashville, OH) had 15, junior Natalie Kalaydjiev (Vienna, Austria) contributed a career-high 13 points and the duo of junior Kaylee Darnell (Wheelersburg, OH) and senior Aleea Crites (Parkersburg, WV) scored 12 points each.
     Darnell, who was named the River States Conference Player of the Week after recording the third triple-double of her career in a win over Webber International (Fla.) last Saturday, nearly had a repeat performance on Tuesday by also finishing with a career-high 14 rebounds and handing out eight assists.
     Woods also had solid all-around outing, chipping in seven rebounds, four assists and a team-high four steals.
     Rio Grande shot an even 50 percent overall (45-for-90), including a 10-for-23 performance from three-point range (43.5%).
     The RedStorm, which had 11 of its 13 players in uniform score at least two points, also enjoyed a 61-27 rebounding edge and turned the Nittany Lions' 29 turnovers into 30 points.
     Logan lead Penn State-Beaver with a game- and season-high 19 points, while Kyra Seggewiss had 16 points to go along with a team-best seven rebounds and game-high five steals.
     Emery Black handed out five assists for the Nittany Lions, while Alison Boykin and Caitlyn O'Hara blocked three shots apiece.
     PSU-Beaver finished 23-for-65 overall (35.4%) and was just 4-for-19 from beyond the three-point arc (21.1%).
     Rio Grande closes out a season-opening six-game homestand on Saturday when it welcomes the University of Cincinnati-Clermont for a 1 p.m. tipoff.