MONMOUTH, Ill. - Monmouth defeated Ripon's women's basketball team 71-66 Saturday afternoon to pull into a first-place tie with the Red Hawks atop the Midwest Conference standings. The Fighting Scots' bench outscored Ripon's reserves 30-4 en route to the victory.

Ripon (17-6, 13-3 MWC) led for the entirety of the first three quarters, starting the game quickly with a pair of Bonnie Jensen baskets. They would use an 8-0 run to take a 10-point advantage, before leading by eight entering the second period. Monmouth (18-5, 13-3 MWC) cut that lead to two mid-way through the next period, before Ripon used a 12-4 run to take a 10-point lead into halftime.

After the break, the Red Hawks continued to lead by double digits, going up by as many as 16 on a jumper by Alyassa Burgess. Monmouth then went on a 21-6 run to cut that lead to a single point. The Fighting Scots then tied the score in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, before taking their first lead with under nine minutes to play on a 3-pointer by Tarae Warner. Ripon would take the lead back with four minutes remaining, but another 3-pointer from Warner gave Monmouth a 63-62 lead with two minutes on the clock. That gave Monmouth the lead for good, as they hit five of their final six free throws to seal the game.

Burgess led Ripon with 16 points and 11 rebounds for her sixth career double-double. Jensen added a career-high 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds. Alison Leslie also chipped in with 11 points, three assists, and two steals.

Monmouth was led by Becca Gallis' 19 points and four 3-pointers. Warner added 14 point, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals off the bench, while making three 3-pointers. Carly Turnbull chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Josie Morgan scored 11 points off the bench. The Fighting Scots shot 48 percent (12-25) from 3-point range and 71 percent (19-27) from the free throw line.

Ripon will try to rebound on Tuesday when they'll host Lake Forest College at 7:30 p.m. at Willmore Center. That game can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/, with LiveStats available at https://static.riponredhawks.com/custompages/LiveStats/WBBall/xlive.htm.