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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - In what was a game that was truly a team effort, Ripon snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Centenary College (NJ) 67-45 in the first day of the South Padre Island Shootout. The Red Hawks wasted no time jumping on Centenary, as they scored early and often, as 12 Ripon players broke into the scoring column.
The Red Hawks (3-6) had their hottest shooting half of the season in the first period, shooting 50 percent (16-32) from the floor. The game was tight early on, with five ties in the first half. Each time Centenary (3-2) would jump in front by a few points, Ripon always provided an answer. The Red Hawks took their first lead of the game with just under 11 minutes remaining on a layup by Carissa Zuercher. From that point, Ripon never looked back, leading for the rest of the contest. They finished the first half on a 28-6 run to take a 22-point lead to the locker rooms.
The second half started out just as well as the first half ended for the Red Hawks, as they were able to build their largest lead of 27 points with over 10 minutes left. Ripon scored the first two baskets of the half on shots by Tiffany Goebel and Jessica DeHamer. Centenary would only get as close as 19 points, which happened with under one minute left, but on a night where everything seemed to go right for the Red Hawks, Jana VanHandel nailed a 3-pointer as time expired for the final 22 point margin.
Despite the dominant performance, Ripon did not have a single player score in double figures. Jeni Yaeger led the team with nine points, while Zuercher and Goebel each finished with seven. The Red Hawk bench got plenty of quality experience and were a big reason for the win, outscoring Centenary's reserves 35-14. Christina Schneider, Staci Dieringer, and Amanda Lindauer each finished with six points off the bench. The Red Hawks were also able to outwork Centenary under the glass, winning the rebounding battle 51-39.
Centenary was led by Jessa Jones, who finished with game-highs of 10 points and nine rebounds. Stephanie Roberts and Kristen Camuso each finished with seven points. They struggled to shoot the ball as a team, making just 31 percent (16-52) of their field goals. They also turned the ball over 27 times in the game.
Ripon will now play either Ohio Wesleyan or Adrian (MI) on Saturday in day two of the San Padre Island Shootout. They will then return home to resume conference play with a January 12th date at Lawrence University.
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