Box Score

RIPON, Wis. - Ripon's women's basketball team held their own for much of Saturday's game against defending Midwest Conference Champion Cornell College in a game that featured nine lead changes, all of which came in the first half. In the end though, Cornell proved to be too much, defeating the Red Hawks 55-45.

Sia Gonyo was all of Ripon's offense for the first six and a half minutes of the opening half, as she scored the Red Hawks' first eight points to take an 8-7 lead over the Rams. Cornell then took the lead on a Chelsea Harris 3-pointer, but the two teams traded baskets until late in the period when Cornell (11-3, 7-2 MWC) went on a 14-2 run to take an 11-point lead. Gonyo then hit her third 3-pointer of the half to cut the lead to eight, which would be the deficit as the teams headed into intermission.

After Cornell opened the second half with a basket, Ripon scored the next four points, including two more by Gonyo, to pull within six just a minute and a half into the period. The Red Hawks would go cold at that point however, missing their next nine shots, allowing Cornell to score 16 consecutive points to open up a 22-point advantage and put the game away.

Gonyo tied a career-high with 15 points to lead the Red Hawks, while Jill VanEperen recorded 13 points, three rebounds and four assists. Kacie Cullen chipped in with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, making her just the fifth player in program history to make 100 career 3-pointers.

Cornell was led by Taylor Dicus' double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Rikki Mulloy added 12 points and four assists, while Maggie Hogan chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds. The Rams outscored Ripon in the paint, 30-14.

Ripon will try to get back on the winning track on Wednesday when they'll host Lawrence University, hoping for a season sweep of the Vikings for the seventh consecutive season. That game is scheduled to tipoff at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen live on http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/ripon.portal#.