APPLETON, Wis. - Ripon kept pace with the top of the Midwest Conference Wednesday night with a 40-34 win at Lawrence University to remain in a first-place tie with Cornell atop the MWC standings. The Red Hawks overcame a first half in which they shot 23 percent (7-31), but converted 42 percent (10-24) of their second half shots to escape with the victory. That marks Ripon's 21st consecutive win against Lawrence, with their last loss to the Vikings coming during the 2006-07 season.

Lawrence (7-15, 5-8 MWC) scored the first five points of the game and led 15-4 after the first quarter, which saw Ripon (14-7, 11-2 MWC) make just one of their 14 shots, while going scoreless for the final five and a half minutes of the period. Things picked up for the Red Hawks in the second quarter, as they scored the first eight points of the period to cut Lawrence's lead to three with six minutes to play in the half, which would be the deficit at halftime.

Emma McDonald pulled Ripon within a single point on a basket in the first minute of the third quarter, and the Red Hawks would take their first lead of the game with three and a half minutes left in the period on a Megan Dille layup. Ripon took that one-point lead into the fourth quarter, and they would never trail again the rest of the night. That lead was extended to seven points in the final minutes on a Jonalee Elliott jumper, helping the Red Hawks coast to the six-point victory.

McDonald led the Red Hawks with 12 points and six rebounds. She also made the team's only 3-pointer, extending her streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 23 games. She now has 152 career 3-pointers, which is just two shy of the school record.

Alyassa Burgess tied a career-high with 10 points off the bench for the Red Hawks, making 5-of-6 shots from the field. Natalie Geiger also chipped in with six points and three rebounds.

Lawrence was led by Kenya Earl's game-high 14 points, to go along with six rebounds, three steals, and four blocked shots. Erin Hill added nine points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Ripon will be in action again on Saturday when they'll host Illinois College at 3 p.m. That game can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/. Saturday will also serve as Ripon's annual Alumni Basketball Day, with the Women's Alumni Game taking place at 10:30 a.m. in Weiske Gymnasium at Willmore Center. The game against Illinois College is Ripon's annual 'Play For The Cure' game in which all fans in attendance are asked to wear pink, with donations being accepted throughout the day and all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society for cancer research.