WAUKESHA, Wis. - For the second time this season, Ripon defeated Carroll University, pulling away in the final minutes Wednesday for an 82-72 victory. It was no ordinary night for the Red Hawks, as the nation's leading scorer Ty Sabin scored a game-high 31 points, making him the only player in the 116-year history of Ripon's men's basketball program to reach that milestone before the end of their sophomore year. Sabin was part of an offensive attack by the Red Hawks that shot 62 percent (29-47) from the floor, including 52 percent (11-21) from 3-point range.

The game was tightly contested early on, featuring five ties and five lead changes in the first eight minutes. Ripon (12-7, 9-5 MWC) finally took control mid-way through the half, scoring eight straight points, keyed by 3-pointers from Brendan McCoy and Kyle Loughrin, to take a seven-point lead. The Red Hawks would lead by as many as nine, but a Sabin layup in the final seconds gave them a 39-32 halftime lead.

Loughrin single-handedly extended that lead to double digits in the second half, scoring Ripon's first nine points of the period to put the Red Hawks up by 12. That lead would vanish in the next two and a half minutes, as Carroll scored 12 straight points to tie the game at 48 with 13 and a half minutes remaining. Loughrin ended that run with a 3-pointer that put Ripon back in front. Carroll (8-11, 5-9 MWC) managed to keep things close for a while, but Sabin recorded a three point play with 4 and a half minutes left to put the Red Hawks up by 10 and all but put the game out of reach.

Sixteen of Sabin's 31 points came in the final six and a half minutes. He finished the game 9-of-17, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, while converting 10-of-11 from the free throw line, to go along with four rebounds and tying a career-high with six assists. Loughrin finished with 27 points, with 21 coming in the second half, shooting 10-for-13 from the floor and 4-for-5 from 3-point range. McCoy added 10 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Carroll was led by Bryan Nagy, who finished with team-highs of 18 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Austin Fritz added 15 points and five rebounds off the bench on 7-of-8 shooting, while Kyle Keranen scored 14 points.The Pioneers converted 63 percent (30-48) of their shots, but made just 16 percent (2-13) of their 3-pointers.

With the win, Ripon remains tied for third in MWC standings, just one game out of second and one game in front of fifth. They will be back at home Saturday against Carroll University at 5 p.m. for their annual "Play For The Cure" Game. That day will also serve as Alumni Day, with the men's alumni game taking place at Noon.
,
,