Box Score

RIPON, Wis. - The Red Hawks shot 40 percent (24-60) from the field on Saturday, but they couldn't overcome a late second half surge by Lake Forest, as the Foresters left with a 71-68 victory with the go ahead basket coming with three seconds remaining. Lake Forest made the most of their opportunities, shooting 92 percent (22-24) of their free throws, which included missing just one of their 20 foul shots in the second half. The Foresters also converted 9-of-16 (56 percent) from the field during the second period.

The first half was a see-saw battle, featuring two ties and seven lead changes. Neither team led by more than five in the half, which saw the teams combine for just seven turnovers. Justin Leistikow gave Ripon (3-3, 1-2 MWC) a five point lead on a jumper with three minutes to play before the  break, but Lake Forest (2-3, 1-1 MWC) ended the period on a 7-5 run to send the teams to the locker rooms tied at 33.

Ripon took command of the game early in the second half taking a 17-point lead thanks to a 21-4 run in the first seven and a half minutes of the period. That run was keyed by nine Kyle Loughrin points, including a stretch of seven consecutive. Ripon held onto a double digit lead until the seven minute mark when  a James Stack free throw cut the Red Hawk lead to nine. That was part of a 13-0 run by the Foresters, which whittled Ripon's lead to a single point with just under four minutes remaining. Ripon wouldn't relinquish the lead until a minute and a half later when two free throws by Torrey Davis put the Foresters in front. After falling behind by three with under a minute to play, Ty Sabin kept the Red Hawks alive with a game-tying 3-pointer. The Foresters would answer that with a 3-pointer of their own by Josh Irving to break that tie with three seconds left. Sabin had one final heave to tie the game once again, but his halfcourter bounced off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded.

Ripon's offense was very balanced on the night with nine of the 10 players that saw playing time scoring at least two points. Sabin led the way with 18 points, which included four 3-pointers, while Loughrin added 16 points and three assists. Ty Ketz also chipped in with eight points, four rebounds and five assists. Like Lake Forest, Ripon missed just two free throws on the day, shooting 12-of-14 from the charity stripe.

The Foresters were led by Stack, who scored 20 points in 24 minutes off the bench. Brian Madson added a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jim Schick scored eight points off the bench on 4-of-4 shooting. The Forester bench combined to outscore Ripon's reserves, 37-15.

The Red Hawks will try to rebound next weekend when they'll host Illinois College on Saturday at 1 p.m. That game can be seen live on http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/ripon.portal. That game will also double as Ripon's annual "Drive To The Hoop" event in which all fans that donate a canned good at the door will receive free admission. All donated items will go to the Ripon Community Food Pantry to help those in need during the Holidays.