Box Score

RIPON, Wis. - Ripon defeated Grinnell 79-65 Saturday afternoon, as Jill VanEperen and Kacie Cullen combined to score 60 of the Red Hawks' 79 points. That included 36 from VanEperen, which is just one shy of Ripon's single game record. The duo finished the game shooting 21-for-32, helping the Red Hawks convert 52 percent (30-58) of their shots from the field.

Despite shooting 56 percent (14-25) in the first half, Ripon trailed by two points at halftime, as the first period saw seven ties and six lead changes. Cullen and VanEperen dominated the first 20 minutes, combining for 33 of Ripon's 37 points in the half. Grinnell led by seven with just over six minutes to play in the period, but Ripon then went on an 11-3 run to take the lead three minutes later, only to see Grinnell grab the lead back on a basket just before halftime.

The teams traded baskets several times in the opening minutes of the second half until Ripon used a 12-4 run to get some breathing room with a nine-point lead. The Red Hawks took the first double-digit lead of the game with five and a half minutes to play on a 3-pointer by Sia Gonyo. Cullen would then hit a 3-pointer of her own on Ripon's next possession to put the nail in the coffin.

VanEperen's 36 points came on 12-of-15 shooting and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Cullen also achieved a career-high with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range, to go along with a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and three steals. Nicole Herkert finished with eight points and six rebounds, while Gonyo posted seven points, five rebounds and a game-high nine assists, which is tied for eighth in school history for a single game.

Grinnell was led by Alissa Hirsh's 20 points, while Anne Boldt and Cristal Coleman added 13 and 10 points, respectively. After shooting 52 percent (15-29) in the first half, the Pioneers converted 39 percent (11-28) of their second half shots.The Pioneers were also outscored in the paint, 42-28.

With the victory, Ripon pulls into a four-way tie for third place in the MWC standings. The Red Hawks will try to keep things rolling next weekend when they'll travel to Lawrence University. That game will begin at 3 p.m. in Appleton, Wis. and can be seen live on http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/ripon.portal.