RedStorm women run Mariners ashore

Rio Grande Sports Information
     BRUNSWICK, Ga. - After averaging 99.5 points per game in a pair of season-opening victories, the College of Coastal Georgia may have believed it was ready for what was sure to be a track meet on Saturday afternoon with the University of Rio Grande.
     And for one quarter, the Mariners went toe-to-toe with the RedStorm's high-octane offense.
     But one quarter does not a game make.
     Rio Grande built a 15-point halftime advantage before burying their hosts in a third quarter onslaught and posting an eventual 109-70 win in non-conference women's basketball action at Howard Coffin Gym.
     The RedStorm improved to 2-0 with the win.
     Coastal Georgia, which is coached by former Rio Grande men's basketball assistant coach Corey Harris, dropped to 2-1 with the loss.
     The Mariners trailed just 23-20 after the opening quarter, but Rio Grande opened the second period on a 7-0 run for a double-digit advantage and led by no less than seven points from that point on.
     The RedStorm settled on a 47-32 cushion at the break and, if the final outcome hadn't already been determined by that point, it certainly was by the close of the third stanza.
     Rio Grande piled up 36 points in the third quarter, connecting on 14 of its 20 field goal attempts (70.0%), and extending the lead to 83-52 entering the final period.
     The RedStorm, who enjoyed a whopping 62-24 edge in points in the paint, took their largest lead of the day, 105-59, on a layup by sophomore Josie Graves (Barboursville, WV) with 3:22 left in the game.
     Rio Grande shot a sizzling 70.6 percent in the second half (24-for-34) and finished the game at 58.2 percent (39-for-67).
     The RedStorm also hit 25 of their 33 free throw attempts (75.8%) and outrebounded their hosts, 49-39.
     Graves finished with a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds, while senior Marina Garcia Perez (Leon, Spain) narrowly missed a triple-double with 11 points, a career-high 14 assists and nine rebounds.
     Freshman Allie Ellyson (Glenville, WV) also had a career-high with 17 points, while senior Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH) and freshman Emma Clary (Crown City, OH) had 11 points each and junior Sophia Kline (Sugar Grove, OH) tallied 10 points and three blocked shots.
     Coastal Georgia hit just 22 of its 84 field goal attempts overall (26.2%), including 7-for-28 from distance (25.0%), and was just 19-for-28 at the foul line (67.9%).
     Abby Shephard netted 20 points to lead the Mariners, while Paris Miller finished with 16 of her own to go along with four assists. Shephard also had three steals.
     Kyla Raven had eight rebounds to lead CCG.
     Rio Grande wraps up its week-long, season-opening road swing on Tuesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C. with a stop at Carolina University.
     Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.