Ripon's men's basketball team split a pair of games on the opening weekend of the 2019-20 season. The Red Hawks lost at Hope College 84-72 on Friday, before defeating Kalamazoo 90-88.

In their opening game, the score was tight throughout the first several minutes until Hope (1-0) used a 9-0 run to take a 10-point lead with 12 minutes to play in the period. The Red Hawks (1-1) would take a two-point halftime lead when Ben Young connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to end the half.

Ripon continued to lead after halftime until the 14 and a half minute mark when Hope took the lead with an Evan Thomas 3-pointer. Ripon battled back to tie the score, but Hope scored on the ensuing possession, and would never look back.

Ripon shot 47 percent (27-57) from the field, including 28 percent (5-18) from 3-point range. The Red Hawks were led by Trent Jones' 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Owen Theune added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ben Young scored 12 off the bench.

Hope was led by Thomas' 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Tyler George added 18 points, while Preston Granger scored 17 and pulled down seven boards. Hope converted 54 percent (32-59) of their shots, while making 48 percent (10-21) of their 3-pointers.

The next day, against Kalamazoo, Ripon trailed by 11 points early, before using a 14-4 run to cut it to one, capped by a Jalen Mahone 3-pointer. Ripon would trail 52-46 at halftime, as Kalamazoo scored six of the final eight points of the period.

In the second half, Ripon scored the first six points on back-to-back 3-pointers by Seth Kostroski to tie the score at 52. After Kalamazoo took the lead, Ripon grabbed it back on another 3-pointer by Kostroski. Ripon would take a seven-point lead later in the half, only to see Kalamazoo come back to grab the lead back with eight and a half minutes to play. Kalamazoo still led by one with one and a half minutes remaining, but Kostroski hit a 3-pointer to take the lead with just over a minute on the clock, and the Red Hawks never looked back.

Ripon finished the game shooting 55 percent (32-58) from the field and 50 percent (12-24) from 3-point range. Jones again led the team with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Kostroski finished with 24 points, making six 3-pointers. Theune added 16 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes.

Kalmazoo was led by Ben Reiter's 22 points and seven rebounds, while Jeremiah Vincent scored 19 off the bench. Merritt Hamann chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds.

Ripon will be in action again on November 19 wehn they'll travel to UW-Whitewater. That game will begin at 7 p.m. in Whitewater, Wis.