WAUKESHA, Wis. – Wednesday's game between Ripon and Carroll was a rematch of an instant classic earlier this season in which the Red Hawks overcame a 19-point second half deficit to defeat the Pioneers. On this night, Carroll made sure they got a large enough lead where they wouldn't have to worry about any late game heroics. Carroll used a scintillating 69 percent (25-36) shooting in the first half, helping them gain revenge 89-75, and securing an Midwest Conference Tournament berth for the Pioneers.

The first half started out innocently enough, as the first six minutes of the game was just about as close as it could get. After that, the rim began to look as big as an ocean to the Pioneer shooters. After missing their first two shots of the game, Carroll (13-8, 11-4) made 16 of their next 17, including 12 baskets in a row. That helped Carroll use a 25-2 run in a five minute span to break the game wide open. The Red Hawks (12-9, 10-5) then went on a mini-run of 15-6 to cut the lead to 14, before Carroll closed the half out with another run of their own. The Pioneers made six of their last seven shots in the half, giving them a 22-point advantage at the half.

As daunting as that deficit may have been, the Red Hawks still managed to slice into it. Four minutes into the half, Carroll still held a 20-point lead, before Ripon started to take over. Sparked by nine points from their bench, the Red Hawks used a 20-6 run to cut the Pioneer lead to six points. Ripon's hot hand would quickly burn out though, as they would miss their next six shots, which helped Carroll score 11 consecutive points to all but clinch the victory.

The Red Hawks were led by Brian Schmitting and David McMullen, who each scored 15 points. Schmitting also finished with eight rebounds, while McMullen recorded seven assists. Chris Kellett chipped in with 11 points, including two 3-pointers.

Nathan Drury led Carroll with a game-high 23 points, to go along with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Buck Colomy finished with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Colomy also recorded five rebounds and three blocks. Adam Ligocki finished with 14 points, while Ryan Mueller scored 13 off the bench. Wes Ladwig also chipped in with 11 points.

Despite the loss, Ripon still clinched a berth in the MWC tournament. Their seed will depend on how they do on Saturday against Beloit in their regular season finale. The game will begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be preceded by the women's contest. Prior to the games, Ripon's alumni will be in action in the annual Alumni game, which will begin at 10:00. The festivities will also include J.J. Jumper, the official mascot of the NCAA, who will perform throughout the day.