Box Score
RIPON, Wis. - Playing their second game in 17 hours, the Ripon College women's basketball team showed no ill effects, defeating Benedictine University 50-48 on the second day of the two-day Ripon College Tournament. With the score tied in the final minute, Ripon's Erin Lind converted a jumper in the paint with 30 seconds left. After the defense held in the final seconds, Ripon improved their record to 1-1 for the sixth time in the last seven years.
Benedictine (0-2) jumped on the Red Hawks early, grabbing a 6-2 lead in the first two and a half minutes of the contest. Ripon battled back however, scoring 15 unanswered points to give themselves an 11-point advantage, which was their largest lead of the day. Nine of those 17 points came from behind the three-point line, which saw Kacie Cullen connect on a pair of long range shots in a two-minute span. Despite seeing that lead get cut to five later in the half, Ripon went into halftime with a nine-point advantage.
The second half saw Ripon squander that lead. Trailing 33-25, Benedictine charged back with eight unanswered points to tie the game. After Ripon opened up a three-point lead later in the half, Benedictine went on a 9-1 run to take their largest lead of five with under four minutes to play. That's when the Red Hawks defense clamped down, not allowing another point. After a pair of free throws by Kacie Cullen and a three point play from Jill Van Eperen, the score was knotted up at 48. That set the stage for Lind's heroics in the final minute, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Lind finished the night with her second double-doube in as many games, leading the team in both points (17) and rebounds (12), en route to being named to the All-Tournament Team. Cullen added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Jill Van Eperen posted seven points and a team-high five assists. The Red Hawks converted 83.3 percent (10-12) of their free throws, while Benedictine shot just 53.3 percent (8-15) from the line.
The Eagles were led by Morgan Jahnke's 11 points and five rebounds, as the team's only player to score in double figures. Michelle Gaede was second on the team with seven points, followed by Nicole Botich, who finished with six.
Ripon will continue non-conference play on Tuesday, as they'll head up the road to face UW-Oshkosh on Tuesday. That game will begin at 7 p.m. in Oshkosh, Wis.
