Box Score

GRINNELL, Iowa - In the game of basketball, it often doesn't matter how a team starts as much as how it finishes. That was the case Saturday afternoon, as Ripon's women's basketball team fell behind by eight points before they could get on the scoreboard. That didn't phase them however, as the Red Hawks stormed back for a much needed 66-52 road victory against Grinnell.

After falling behind early, Ripon (7-9, 7-4 MWC) scored eight consecutive points of their own to tie the game for the first of seven times in the first half. Neither team led by more than four points after that point in the half, with Grinnell (2-14, 1-10 MWC) taking a three point lead to the locker room thanks to a Lydia Stariha 3-pointer in the final minute of the period.

The second half saw the lead change hands seven times in the first seven minutes. Ripon then seized control with nine consecutive points, including the last four by Kacie Cullen to open up an eight-point lead. Grinnell would never get closer than six the rest of the way, as the Red Hawks ended the game on a 30-15 run.

Ripon was led by 18 points from Jill VanEperen, who made 7-of-11 shots from the field, while also recording four steals. Nicole Herkert chipped in with her first career double-double of 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, while Cullen also scored 13 points, going 6-of-9 from the field, with three rebounds and four assists. As a team, Ripon shot 49 percent (27-55) from the field. More than half of the Red Hawks' points (34) came in the paint.

Anne Boldt led Grinnell with 18 points, including three 3-pointers. Kaitlyn Norton was second on the team with nine points, making all three of her shots from the field. Grinnell converted 37 percent (17-46) of their field goals, including 30 percent (6-20) in the second half.

The win vaults Ripon into a fifth-place tie in the MWC standings with Carroll University, just one game shy of the fourth and final conference tournament spot with seven games to play. The Red Hawks will hope to continue their ascent up the MWC standings on Tuesday when they'll host Beloit College at 7:30 p.m. in Ripon. That game can be seen live on http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/ripon.portal.