RIPON, Wis. - Two weeks into the season, Ripon finally got a chance to experience the familiarity of their home crowd. The Red Hawks played their first home game of the season Friday, which also doubled as their conference opener against Knox College, and they didn't disappoint their home fans. Ripon was able to get out to an big lead early in the game and the game was never really in doubt, as the Red Hawks defeated the Prairie Fire 89-75.

Knox struck first, scoring on a Josh Moten jumper just seconds into the contest. That wouldn't last long. After a Brian Schmitting basket to tie the game, Knox turned the ball over on their next possession. Senior guard David McMullen picked the pocket of Jesse Temple, giving McMullen his first of eight steals on the night. McMullen would convert that steal into a fastbreak layup, which put Ripon in the lead for good. That steal also marked a milestone for the Houston, Texas native, as he passed Tommy Becker for the top spot as the school's career steals leader. After being down 2-0, Ripon went on a 34-10 run to put the game away early. Ripon shot 54 percent in the first half, as they went to the locker room with an 18-point lead.

The Red Hawks continued to score at will as they started the second half. Ripon opened the second period with a 20-11 run, giving them their largest lead of 29 points. The Red Hawks shot 48 percent in the second half, including 58 percent (7-12) from three-point range. Knox turned the ball over 22 times, while Ripon made just 13 turnovers. Knox scored 13 points in the final two minutes to make the score somewhat respectable.

David McMullen played one of the best games of his Red Hawk career, scoring 14 points. McMullen also recorded six rebounds and four assists, to go along with his eight steals, giving him 170 for his career. Bo Johnson displayed his touch all night long, scoring a game-high 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Johnson also added eight rebounds and three assists. Brian Schmitting and Paul Wise also got their opportunities to show what they could do. Schmitting scored 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Wise finished with 12 points. Chris Kellett had 12 points and three steals off the bench.

Knox's Jason Maclin was held in check for most of the day, shooting 5-of-18 from the field, while committing seven turnovers. He did have his moments though, as he finished with a team-high 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Jeff Wozencraft had 11 points for the Prairie Fire in the losing effort.

The Red Hawks will now travel to St. Norbert for a game Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 and will be preceded by the women's contest with the Green Knights.