RedStorm races past UNOH for 10th straight win

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio – Shiloah Blevins is much leaner than Santa Claus and his beard isn’t as impressive as old Saint Nic’s, but when it comes to delivering the senior forward can match Kris Kringle step for step.
     The South Webster, Ohio product scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half to help the University of Rio Grande pull away for an 89-64 win over the University of Northwestern Ohio, Thursday afternoon, in non-conference men’s basketball action at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     The RedStorm pushed their record to 11-3 with the victory and extended their win streak to 10 – the program’s longest such streak since a 16-game stretch in 2001 which ended in a Final Four loss.
     UNOH dropped to 5-9 with the loss.
     Blevins, the reigning River States Conference Player of the Week, also yanked down a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots for Rio which – aside from a 2-2 tie just under a minute and a half into the contest – led throughout.
     The Racers trailed just 28-22 after a three-pointer by Hunter Bode with 6:55 left in the first half, but the RedStorm went on an 11-2 run over the next nearly four minutes and took a 15-point cushion, 39-24, following a trifecta from sophomore Khamani Smith (Fort Wayne, IN) with 3:17 remaining before the intermission.
     Rio’s lead stood at 12 by halftime and UNOH got no closer than nine points – 52-43 after a Cedric Delancy, Jr. three-pointer with 14:05 left – the rest of the way.
     The Racers were still down just 10, 62-52, after a bucket by Trevon Wells with 7:58 remaining, but the RedStorm finished the day on 27-12 run to win going away.
     In addition to the big game from Blevins, Rio also got 18 points from freshman Kaden Warner (Cincinnati, OH) and 17 points from junior Miki Tadic (Hilversum, The Netherlands).
     Smith finished with a game-high five assists and two steals, while Warner also had seven rebounds and two steals of his own.
     The RedStorm finished 36-for-73 overall (49.3%), while connecting on 13 of their 32 three-point tries (40.6%).
     Rio also enjoyed a 43-34 edge in rebounding.
     Wells had 14 points and seven rebounds to lead UNOH, while Biggz Johnson netted 14 points of his own to go along with six rebounds and three assists.
     Delancy, Jr. added 11 points in a losing cause for the Racers, who shot a respectable 41 percent overall (23-for-56) and 39 percent from three-point range (9-for-23).
     The visitors stubbed their collective toes by going just 9-for-16 at the foul line (56.3%) and committing 16 turnovers.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Friday, Dec. 30, when Marian University visits for a 6 p.m. tipoff.