RIPON, Wis. – Championship teams often have one defining moment that turns their season around. Tuesday night just may have been that moment for the Red Hawks. Down by 19 points in the second half and their backs against the wall against conference leader Carroll College, Ripon used a 37-14 run to end the game and defeat the Pioneers 80-76 at Wyman Gymnasium in Storzer Center.

Carroll (8-7, 6-3) led the entire first half, scoring on a Nathan Drury layup just 25 seconds into the game. The Red Hawks (8-7, 6-3) saw plenty of Drury in that first half, as he scored 12 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists in the period. He helped Carroll shoot 56 percent in the half, giving them an eight point halftime advantage. Ripon on the other hand shot only 35 percent from the floor in the first period.

The Pioneers quickly added to thier lead in the second half, going up by as many as 19 points. With 12 minutes remaining, Carroll went up by 18 and held onto that large lead as long as they could, leading by 14 with eight minutes to play. That's when the Red Hawks made their move, as they made eight of the final 10 shots they took. In the final eight minutes, Ripon outscored Carroll 23-5 and the Red Hawks never led until Paul Wise sank two free throws with 54 seconds to play, giving them a one-point lead. Ripon was able to ice the game with some free throws, vaulting them into a first place tie with the Pioneers.

Brian Schmitting had arguably the best game of his Red Hawk career, scoring at will and coming down with nearly every rebound in sight. The senior center finished the game with 26 points and 20 rebounds. Wise added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while David McMullen and Chris Kellett chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Carroll was led by Drury's 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Adam Ligocki scored 12 points, while Buck Colomy and Ben Fischer each poured in 11. In the end though, it was the Pioneer defense that couldn't stop the Red Hawks, allowing Ripon to shoot 63 percent in the second half.

Ripon will try to keep their momentum going on Saturday, as they'll travel to Beloit for a game with the Buccaneers. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. and will be preceded by the women's contest.