|
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - Ripon turned the ball over 28 times Saturday afternoon, which directly led to 31 Illinois College points, as the Lady Blues defeated the Red Hawks 78-67. Down 17 points at halftime, Ripon shot 56 percent (18-32) in the second half, but their early deficit would be too much to overcome due to their 30 percent shooting in the first period.
Ripon (2-5, 0-2) never led in the game and were only tied once when Ashley Meister's jumper in the lane knotted the score up at two. After that point, Illinois College (3-3, 1-1) went on an 18-4 run to take a 14-point lead just seven and a half minutes into the game. The Red Hawks chipped away at that lead, getting as close as seven points with six and a half minutes left before halftime, but Illinois College would turn up the heat one more time, ending the half on a 14-4 run.
The second half was a lot more even, but Ripon could never get over the hump. The game stayed in double digits for the majority of the half, with Illinois College leading by as many as 20 points. Two bright spots for the Red Hawks were their points in the paint and their second chance points. Ripon outscored the Lady Blues 38-30 in the lane, while also outscoring them 20-7 on second opportunities.
Carissa Zuercher led the Red Hawks with a season-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. Jeni Yaeger finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Amanda Lindauer contributed 10 points and five boards. Meister chipped in with nine points, as she made all three of her field goals, while also making all three of her free throw attempts.
Illinois College had four players in double figures, led by Carrie Walberg's game-high 19 points off the bench. Candy Norville and Lauren Napier each finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while Rachel Macon scored 11 on 5-of-6 shooting. The Lady Blues went to the free throw line 30 times, making 24 of them. That was twice the number of free throws that were shot by the Red Hawks.
Ripon will now return home to the friendly confines of Storzer Center, as they'll host St. Norbert College on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. That game will be followed by the men's contest against the Green Knights and can be seen live on www.midwestconference.tv.
|
Back 