No. 22 Point Park powers past Rio Grande (Ohio), 75-59, for RSC home victory

PITTSBURGH -- No. 22 Point Park University got out to a big lead early and led from start to finish in Tuesday night's 75-59 victory over visiting University of Rio Grande (Ohio) at CCAC-Allegheny.

The Pioneers (22-2, 11-2 RSC) came out with a dominating effort that led to a 40-19 lead with just under 7:00 left in the first half. Earlier leads were 9-2 and 27-11 as Point Park came out firing on both ends and on the glass. 

It looked like Point Park was going to run away and hide. Although they didn't do that, they kept the lead the entire 40 minutes and held off a final rally attempt by Rio Grande (10-13, 5-8 RSC) with a run of their own to put the game away. 

Jo Valrie had a big game of 23 points and 14 rebounds. He had a flurry of scoring in the early going as his drive put the Pioneers ahead 19-11. When he connected from the outside moments later, he already had 13 points.

Jalen Stamps totaled 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Jamisen Smith added 15 points and like Stamps made a pair of 3-pointers. 

Jags Jhawar was big at the end with eight of his 10 points coming in the final seven minutes of the game. He was 5 for 6 from the floor and blocked four shots. His four blocks give him 56 on the year, which broke his own school record for most blocks in a single season of 53 last year. 

Point Park was up 40-26 at halftime. That was after Rio Grande's Trey Robertson hit a 3-pointer to end the half. Robertson hit again to open the second half and pull the RedStorm within 11. 

Stamps answered with a drive at the other end to put a stop to the Pioneers' scoring drought, which had been going on for six minutes. The Pioneers got back out to a 47-33 lead at the under-15:00 media timeout only to have Rio Grande move to within 53-46 on Trent Hundley's 3-pointer.

Smith made a trey to regain double digits at 56-46 at the under-10:00 media timeout. But Rio Grande made a run as Hundley trimmed the lead to 58-53 a few minutes later. 

But that was as close as Rio Grande got. A 3-pointer by Valrie and a big dunk by Jhawar made the score 63-53. The dunk was the first of four baskets by Jhawar down the stretch.

Stamps set up Jhawar for a pair of hook shots in the lane as Point Park extended the lead to 71-57 with under 3:00 to go. Jhawar then put back a missed shot on the next possession to put things further away. 

Hundley led Rio grande with 23 points on 10 for 18 from the floor. The only other RedStorm player in double figures was Robertson with 14. 

For Point Park, the 59 points were the fewest they have given up in conference play all year. The Pioneers had their usual rebounding with a 42-29 edge on the glass. Point Park had 12 offensive rebounds -- three each from Valrie and Nathaniel Van -- and led in second-chance points, 15-2. 

Point Park will go on the road next for a big matchup with Shawnee State (Ohio) (17-6, 11-2 RSC). The Bears have the second record as the Pioneers as the top two teams in the RSC East Division. Point Park won the earlier meeting at home, 83-80, on Dec. 2.