Hot second half keys Rio Grande in opening-night win over Milligan

RIO GRANDE, Ohio (October 29, 2021) – The Milligan University women's basketball team led Rio Grande by three at the half and by as many as seven points in the third quarter but fell 98-81 to Rio Grande in the Buffs' season opener at the RedStorm Invitational on Friday night.

Friday night marked the first game of the season for both teams. The Red Storm, who earned a spot in the NAIA National Tournament last season, move to 1-0 while Milligan falls to 0-1.

After exchanging buckets through the first three minutes of play, Rio Grande turned a 9-8 lead into an 18-10 advantage with 2:34 to go in the first quarter. Lily Griffith responded with a jumper, a free throw and a pair of made threes in an 11-3 Buffs run that tied the game at 21 with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. The Red Storm scored the final basket of the quarter on a putback off a missed free throw in the final seconds and led 23-21 going into the second quarter.

A three-point play by Jaycie Jenkins early in the second quarter handed the Buffs their first lead of the night at 24-23. After Rio scored to re-take the lead, Kristy Galea connected on a three to put the Buffs ahead 27-25. Galea followed her own miss to put the Buffs ahead 29-27 a few possessions later.

A 6-1 stretch for Rio Grande gave the hosts a 33-30 lead, but a steal and lay-up by Madi Runnels and a pair of free throws by Galea pushed the Buffs ahead 34-33. A putback by Runnels extended the Buffs' lead to three, but Rio connected on its first three of the night to tie it at 36 with three minutes to go in the half.

Jenkins scored a pair of tough baskets in the final minute of the half and a steal by Kaylee Henrickson led to a Kayla Romines layup in the final seconds of the half to give Milligan a 43-40 halftime lead.

Jenkins and Griffith drilled back-to-back three-pointers early in the third quarter as the Buffs' extended their lead to seven (53-46) with 7:46 to play in the third. The Red Storm quickly trimmed the deficit to three points before Griffith buried another jumper to make it 57-52 Buffs.

Milligan's offense went cold as Rio Grande embarked on a 12-0 run over a three-minute span to lead 63-57. Stacia Wilson put an end to the run with a bucket with 2:32 left in the third. Galea nailed a three in the final seconds of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 70-64 at the end of the period. Rio Grande scored 30 third-quarter points to turn a three-point halftime deficit into a seven-point advantage heading into the fourth.

Two quick baskets early in the fourth gave the hosts a double-digit lead for the first time in the game. The Red Storm outscored the Buffs 17-3 through the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Griffith led the Buffs with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting and converted four-of-five threes on the night. Jenkins posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Galea added 14 points.

Halie Padgett finished with six points and four rebounds. Runnels was the leading scorer off the bench with six points and eight rebounds.

The Buffs knocked down nine threes at 36.0 percent and tuned 16 offensive rebounds into 28 second chance points.

Rio Grande won the rebounding battle 49-44 and owned a plus-eight advantage in the turnover margin (16-8).

Despite a double-digit final margin, the contest featured eight tied and 10 lead changes, and the game was still hanging in the balance throughout the third quarter and heading into the fourth.

Rio Grande's Hailey Jordan scored 23 of her career-high 28 points in the second half. The Red Storm converted 24-of-39 field goals (61.5 percent) and racked up 58 points in the second half.

The Buffs take on IU East tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to close out Milligan's weekend in Ohio.