Sports
RedStorm Defeat Golden Bears, 89-69
By: McKennah Robinson
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The ladies from Rio Grande had yet another impressive win on Wednesday against the West Virginia Tech Golden Bears as they closed the regular season sweep with a final score of 89-69.
The first half showed strength by both teams as Rio battled to keep the lead and WVU Tech battled to close the gap. The RedStorm led by as many as 13 points within the first half, but the Golden Bears fought hard by closing the gap to a mere seven points, bringing the game to a total of 42-35, by halftime.
The second half, however, was a complete turnaround as Rio hit the court running, and powered through the rest of the game. Within the first ten minutes, the RedStorm put up point after point to keep them in the lead, allowing for the largest gap in the whole game at 69-41.
While Rio Grande’s power was impressive, its stats weren’t the highest it has had this season. The RedStorm shot just 39 percent from the field and 35 percent beyond the arc, along with a season-low 50 percent from the free throw line. Between the Golden Bears and the RedStorm, there was a combined 53 fouls, accompanied by three players from the Golden Bears fouling out.
However, many members from the Rio squad contributed to this win. Sophomore forward Julia Heaberlin hit a career high 15 points in the match, while freshman Kaylyn Gambill followed close behind with 14 points.
Junior Sarah Bonar and freshman Sharday Baines each had 12 points to add to the winning efforts, and freshman Alexis Payne put up 11 points. Bonar and Payne also led the RedStorm with nine and eight rebounds, respectively.
This win marked the eighth victory the RedStorm have obtained this season, a feat that took them 30 games to achieve in the 2012-13 season.
Rio Grande will return to its home court in Newt Oliver Arena on Monday, Dec. 9, where it will take on NCAA Division II Alderson-Broaddus College. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.