BELOIT, Wis. – Ripon has been living on the edge all season long and Saturday was no different. The Red Hawks defeated Beloit 81-77 in two overtimes, helping them stay tied atop the Midwest Conference standings with Carroll and Grinnell. Ripon's last six wins have been by four or less points and seven of their last eight games have been decided by that same margin.

The first half was tightly contested with neither team leading by more than six points. Ripon's Chris Kellett nailed a three-pointer to cut Beloit's lead to two points at halftime, giving him eight points in the half. Ripon (9-7, 7-3) hit on 44 percent (4-9) from three-point range, while Beloit (4-13, 4-6) made five of their 14 three-point attempts. Both teams had identical shooting percentages at halftime, as each team made 12-of-26 (46%) from the field.

The second half looked like it would be the opposite of the first and turn into a rout. Ripon scored the first nine points of the period and used a 22-6 run to open a 14-point advantage, which was the largest by either team all night. Ripon continued to lead by double-digits for the next several minutes, until Beloit's Nick Hendry hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to nine with four and a half minutes left in regulation. Beloit continued their comeback until the second half buzzer, going on a 16-4 run in the final five minutes to force overtime. The Red Hawks looked like they may get the win in regulation, until Matt Fieck's three-pointer tied the game for Beloit with two seconds left.

The two teams traded baskets in the first overtime, with Kellett tying the game again with a minute and a half left in the period. Bo Johnson had a chance to give Ripon the lead, but his shot at the buzzer bounced off the rim, sending the game to a second OT. Beloit took the lead in the second extra session on a pair of free throws by Hendry, but that's all the noise Beloit could make the rest of the way. Ripon quickly tied the game on their next trip down the floor. They would then take the lead for good thier next time down the floor, giving them a very important MWC victory.

Ripon were led by two players with double-doubles. Johnson finished the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Brian Schmitting continued his strong play of late with 16 points and 12 boards. Kellett recorded 15 points, while David McMullen scored 14, to go along with eight assists.

The Buccaneers' Andy Horton led Beloit with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Fieck added 22 points, while Hendry recorded 13 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Beloit shot 31 percent in the overtime periods, while Ripon made 40 percent of their shots in that time.

The Red Hawks will try for their third consecutive win on Tuesday as they'll battle St. Norbert at Storzer Center in Ripon. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by the women's game with the Green Knights.