RIPON, Wis. - After recording their best start to a season in 19 years (10-1), including six consecutive wins to start the conference season, the Ripon men's basketball team suffered its first conference loss of the season Friday night, falling to Monmouth College by a score of 79-70. The game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes, seven of which came during the second half, but it was ultimately the turnover battle that played a key role, as Monmouth committed just three and the Red Hawks had 14 miscues.

Ripon (10-2, 6-1 MWC) got off to a quick start, as Ty Sabin scored the team's first eight points, helping them get out to an early 10-2 advantage. That lead would last for less than two minutes, as Monmouth (3-9, 3-4 MWC) reeled off eight consecutive points to tie the score. The Fighting Scots' first lead of the game came with 12 and a half minutes remaining in the opening half thanks to a layup by Will Jones. The lead changed hands several times the rest of the half, with Monmouth leading by as many as five. Ripon then closed the half on a 10-5 run to take a one-point lead into halftime.

Ripon remained in the lead for the majority of the first 14 minutes of the second half, leading by as many as five, but that changed with six minutes remaining when Monmouth's Will Jones converted a pair of free throws to give the Fighting Scots the lead, which was part of a 12-0 run that gave Monmouth a nine-point lead with a little more than one minute left on the clock. Ripon would get within five in the final minute, but Jones sank all four of his free throws in the final minute to put the game out of reach.

Sabin led all scorers with 31 points, while Isaac Masters tied a career-high with 14 points. Cal Schultz added eight points off the bench.

Monmouth was led by Lamont Mitchell's 26 points, while Justin Aluya finished with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Jones added 20 points and eight boards.

The Red Hawks now sit in second place in the MWC standings. They will try to rebound on Saturday when they'll host Cornell College at 3 p.m. in Ripon.