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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - Ripon shot 57 percent in the first half of Saturday's game at Illinois College, but still trailed at halftime in a game they would lose 89-76. The Red Hawks cooled off a little in the second half and just as they did, Illinois College began to heat up, making 65 percent of their shots in the second half to secure the victory.
The Red Hawks (1-3, 0-2) got out to an early lead, scoring the first four points of the game. Illinois College
(4-1, 2-0) then took an eight point lead with 12 minutes left in the half, thanks to a 16-4 run. Ripon then battled back, cutting the lead to three on a 3-pointer by Marc Leisgang. After an Illinois College 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, Ripon's Rich Cloeter nailed another shot from long range. That would be as close as Ripon would get the rest of the half, trailing by six at the break, despite shooting 63 percent (5-8) from 3-point range.
The Red Hawks used a 10-2 run early in the second half to take a two point lead with 15 and a half minutes to play, capped off by another 3-pointer, this time by Paul Wise. That lead would be short lived however, as the Blueboys scored on three consecutive possessions to push their lead back to nine. In what was a see-saw battle all night, Ripon cut the lead back to two, thanks to a 3-pointer by Chris Kellett with under 10 minutes to play. The Red Hawks could never quite get over the hump, as Illinois College had an answer each time they would cut into the lead. This time was no different, with the Blueboys using a 16-4 run to take a 14-point advantage, all but sealing the victory.
Scott Gillespie led the Red Hawks with a team-high 24 points, which included a 3-for-5 performance from 3-point range. Wise also scored in double digits, netting 14, while also recording four rebounds and three steals. Kellett and Martin Esters each scored eight points for the Red Hawks, who were out rebounded 37-26 in the game.
Illinois College was led by Brad Johnson's 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Joe Womble added 18 points, while also making all four of his 3-point attempts. Mark Gillingham and David Stewart each added 13 points. The Blueboys made 50 percent of their 3-pointers, including 60 percent in the second half. They also received 25 points from their bench.
Ripon will now return home to play St. Norbert on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. That game will be played at Storzer Center and will be preceded by the women's contest against the Green Knights. The contest can be seen live on www.midwestconference.tv.
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