|
RIPON, Wis. - Ripon showed glimpses of their potential Tuesday night, going toe-to-toe with UW-Oshkosh in the first half of play, but much like a game ago, the Red Hawks fell behind in the second half and couldn't recover.
UW-O used their 52 percent shooting from the field to defeat Ripon 69-55, as they avenged last season's loss in Oshkosh.
Ripon came strong out of the gates, scoring the first six points of the game on baskets by Jessica DeHamer and Carissa Zuercher. That would be the biggest lead for either team until UW-Oshkosh used a 16-4 run to take an eight-point advantage with under three minutes to play. Ripon showed what they were made of though, as they scored the final five points of the half, all by Jeni Yaeger. The Red Hawks shot 44 percent from the field in the half to keep pace with the Titans.
The second half would be a different story however, as the Red Hawks went ice cold, shooting just 32 percent from the field. UW-Oshkosh on the other hand used high-percentage shots to shoot 52 percent in the period. After UW-O scored the first four points of the period, Ripon rallied with six of their own on a jumper by Yaeger and two more by DeHamer. That would be as close as they would get the rest of the night, as the Titans promptly rattled off fifteen consecutive points of their own to break the game wide open and take a 16 point lead with 10 and a half minutes remaining. Ripon got as close as six the rest of the way, after a pair of Tiffany Goebel free throws with four and a half minutes to play, but the Titans would seal the deal by hitting their free throws down the stretch.
Leading the way for Ripon was DeHamer, who finished with a career-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds. Yaeger also scored in double figures with 13 points, while also grabbing five boards. Goebel and Carissa Zuercher chipped in with seven and six points, respectively.
UW-Oshkosh had a number of players get into the action, as their bench accounted for 40 of the team's 69 points, compared to just 12 points off the pine for the Red Hawks. Tiffany Pugh led the way with 20 points, including four three-pointers, and four rebounds off the bench. Laura Ebbens also played in a reserve role, but managed 13 points and five assists. Whitney Tyriver added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while also recording five steals. The Titans were 13-for-21 (61.9%) from the free throw line in the second half.
The Red Hawks will now go back on the road for a game at Concordia (WI) on Saturday. Tip off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Mequon, Wis.
|
Back 