No. 8 RedStorm outslugs Shawnee State

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Picturesque? Not particularly.
     But an apology for an ugly win wasn't forthcoming from University of Rio Grande women's basketball head coach David Smalley and his team.
     The RedStorm ditched their regular up-tempo routine for a slug-it-out half-court battle and outlasted rival Shawnee State University, 72-59, Tuesday night, in River States Conference play at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     Rio Grande, ranked No. 8 in the most recent NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll, improved to 14-1 overall and 3-0 in the RSC with a fourth straight victory.
     The win - coupled with a loss by Indiana University East to Midway University - left the RedStorm alone at the top of the RSC East Division standings.
     Shawnee State, which was among the teams receiving votes in the same coaches' poll, had a four-game winning streak snapped in falling to 11-4 overall and 2-1 in league.
     The 59 points scored also represented a season-low mark for the Bears.
     Shawnee State took a 2-0 lead on its first possession of the night thanks to a layup by Miyoshi Ellis, but Rio Grande tied the game on a pair of free throws by sophomore Payton Johnson (Peebles, OH) and then took the lead on a subsequent steal and layup by Johnson just under two minutes into the contest.
     It was a lead that the RedStorm would never relinquish.
     Shawnee State hit just eight of its 34 field goal attempts in the opening half (23.5%) and trailed by as many as 11 points in the second quarter before settling on a 29-24 halftime deficit.
     Rio Grande shot just 32.3 percent itself in the half (10-for-31), including a 2-for-11 showing in the second quarter (18.2%).
     The RedStorm advantage hovered between three and 10 points throughout the third period and remained between three and 11 points for the first nine minutes of the final stanza.
     Rio's largest lead of the night, 71-58, came after senior Marlee Grinstead (Albany, OH) drilled a pair of free throws with 55 seconds left to play and was equaled with the game's final margin of victory.
     The RedStorm limited SSU to just 32 percent shooting overall (23-for-71), while also blocking eight shots and forcing 18 turnovers.
     Rio's defensive effort - which also included 12 steals and a 44-40 edge in rebounding - helped the RedStorm survive 21 turnovers of their own.
     Grinstead led five double-digit scorers for Rio with 16 points to go along with five assists and three steals, but it was the effort of junior center Sophia Kline (Sugar Grove, OH) which stole the show.
     Kline, who was named the River States Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, had 10 points to go along with a career-high 18 rebounds and seven blocked shots. It was also her fifth consecutive double-double performance.
     Sophomore Josie Graves (Barboursville, WV) added 15 points and eight rebounds in the winning effort, while freshman Allie Ellyson (Glenville, WV) had 12 points and Johnson netted 10 of her own.
     Senior Marina Garcia Perez (Leon, Spain) also had a game-best eight assists for the RedStorm.
     Ellis led Shawnee State with 11 points and five assists, while Kyla Torok had 10 points and eight rebounds and Jonilyah Chambers had three steals.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Indiana University Southeast for a 1 p.m. tipoff.