LA CROSSE, Wis. - Ripon's women's basketball team suffered their first loss of the season Saturday night, falling to UW-Whitewater 70-54 on the first day of the two-day UW-LaCrosse Thanksgiving Classic. The Red Hawks were able to hold their own with the Warhawks for most of the first two and a half quarters before UW-W pulled away in the final period. UW-Whitewater finished the game with a shooting percentage of .426 (23-54), while holding Ripon to 34 percent (18-53) shooting.

Ripon (2-1), which never led in the game, fell behind by 14 points in the final seconds of the first quarter, but they rallied to cut that lead to six mid-way through the second period thanks to a 10-2 run. The Red Hawks would pull within five points at halftime, thanks to a Maddie Koster layup in the final minute of the first half.

Ripon kept their deficit in single digits until the seven and a half minute mark in the third quarter when a Becky Raeder 3-pointer put UW-Whitewater (5-0) up by 12. They would remain in control for the rest of the third quarter and into the fourth, but Ripon crept back into the game by scoring the first six points of the fourth quarter. After going scoreless for the first four minutes of the final period, UW-Whitewater took a nine-point lead on a 3-pointer by Malia Smith, ending the Red Hawks' comeback bid.

Maggie Oimoen led Ripon with team-highs of 13 points and six rebounds off the bench. Maddie Koster added eight points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals, while Jonalee Elliott chipped in with six points and five rebounds.

UW-Whitewater was led by Brooke Trewyn's double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting. Smith added 15 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while Andrea Meinert posted seven points and four rebounds. The Warhawks converted 39 percent (5-13) of their 3-pointers, while making 71 percent (15-21) of their free throws in the second half.

Ripon will be in action again on Sunday when they'll face UW-La Crosse at 5 p.m. That game will begin at 5 p.m. in La Crosse, Wis. on what is the second and final day of the UW-La Crosse Thanksgiving Classic.