RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Madonna University (1-1) surrendered the final seven points in an 86-84 loss to Rio Grande (1-0) on Friday, Oct. 30, at Newt Oliver Arena in Rio Grande, Ohio. The hosts took their first lead with eight seconds remaining.
Early 3-pointers by Mario Johnson and Makyle Doss helped Madonna build its advantage before Koby Christopher connected from beyond the arc for a 20-9 lead with 14:53 left in the first half. Parker Penrod brought Rio Grande within 29-27, but Joey Miller capped a 6-0 Crusaders response with a basket off Braden Buza's assist. Landon Brewer eventually tied it 40-40 with a 3-pointer at 3:29. Jahkil Jackson and DeAntwan Randall answered with baskets, and Randall scored again with 18 seconds left to send Madonna into halftime ahead 50-46. The Crusaders shot 19-of-29, or 65.5%, in the half.
Christopher hit two 3-pointers early in the second half, both assisted by Johnson, to help push the lead to 62-52. After Brewer scored following a steal to cut the margin to five, Joey Liedel answered with a basket and one made free throw to complete a three-point play. Randall and Johnson later restored double-digit cushions before Jayden Hardiman's basket made it 78-67 with 7:37 remaining, matching Madonna's largest lead.
Rio Grande responded with seven straight points, including Penrod's 3-pointer following a Madonna turnover and Brody Buchanan's steal and basket to make it 78-74 with 4:53 left. Liedel made one free throw, then Christopher hit a 3-pointer after Doss forced a turnover, restoring an 82-74 advantage at 4:25. Caleb Schmelzer made two free throws to bring Rio Grande within three at 2:00, but Liedel scored Madonna's final basket for an 84-79 lead with 1:30 remaining.
Schmelzer made 1-of-2 free throws with 40 seconds left, and Penrod hit his eighth 3-pointer after Brewer's steal to cut the lead to 84-83 with 28 seconds remaining. Christopher blocked Penrod's next 3-point attempt at 16 seconds, but Rio Grande retained possession on the rebound. Taron Benton scored the go-ahead basket with eight seconds left before missing the accompanying free throw. Doss missed a potential tying free throw with three seconds remaining, and Cade Mock collected the rebound. Mock made 1-of-2 free throws with one second left, with Johnson rebounding the miss.
Randall led Madonna with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds. Christopher added 14 points, four 3-pointers, five rebounds and three blocks. Liedel scored 13, Jackson contributed 11 on 5-of-6 shooting and Hardiman produced 10 points and five rebounds in eight minutes. Johnson handed out four assists, while Doss recorded four steals and two blocks. The Crusaders held a 37-5 advantage in bench scoring, outrebounded Rio Grande 42-34 and outscored the hosts 44-32 in the paint.
Penrod finished with 34 points, including 22 before halftime, and shot 8-of-14 from 3-point range. Schmelzer added 18 points, Buchanan scored 16 and Brewer had 13 points and five steals. Madonna shot 53.3% overall despite cooling to 13-of-31 in the second half, while Rio Grande finished at 42.6%. The hosts converted Madonna's 15 turnovers into 25 points and held a 25-11 edge in points off turnovers.
Madonna Men's Basketball will be back in action on Friday, November 6, 2026 when they host Lawrence Tech, Union College (Ky.), and Marian University for the annual Bernie Holowicki Classis presented by Success Group Mortgage. Madonna will first play Union College (Ky.) on Friday at 7:00 PM.