RIPON, Wis. - It's deja vu all over again. For the third consecutive season, Ripon's women's basketball team has won the Midwest Conference Championship and the hosting rights for the conference tournament that goes with it. The Red Hawks defeated Knox College 76-64 Saturday afternoon in what will be a preview of Friday's first MWC semifinal at 5 p.m. in Ripon's Willmore Center. Ripon shot 50 percent (26-52) on Saturday, including 50 percent (9-18) from 3-point range. That gives them 125 threes on the season, which is just three shy of the single season school record.

Ripon (19-6, 15-3 MWC) never trailed in the first half, getting out to a 6-0 lead after a pair of Alison Leslie 3-pointers in the game's opening minute. The Red Hawks led by as many as 10 in the opening quarter, and extended that lead to 14 on a layup by Jordan Bukouricz in the second quarter, before heading into halftime leading 38-28.

Knox (16-9, 11-7 MWC) battled back in the second half, which began with a 15-4 run by the Prairie Fire to take their first lead of the game with four minutes left in the third quarter. That lead was short-lived however, as Leslie drained another three on the ensuing possession. That was the beginning of 10 consecutive points by the Red Hawks, who led by eight at the end of the third quarter. Ripon led by as many as 11 in the fourth period, but Knox cut that lead to three mid-way through the quarter before the Red Hawks put the game away by making seven of eight free throws in the final minute.

Leslie led all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including going 7-for-11 from 3-point range for the second consecutive game. With the second-highest 3-point percentage in all of Division-III, Leslie now has 67 three-pointers this season, which is just two shy of Ripon's single season record. Megan Dille added 11 points, five rebounds, and a career-high three assists, with eight of those points coming in the fourth quarter, which saw her make all four of her field goal attempts. Bonnie Jensen and Jesi Nay also each scored 11 points, to go along with five and six rebounds, respectively.

Knox was led by Jarrelyn Mccall's 27 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Kyra Huffman added 15 points, six boards, four blocks, and three steals.

These two teams will take the floor again Friday at 5 p.m. at Ripon's Willmore Center in what will be the first of two semifinals in the MWC Tournament. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Monmouth/Cornell semifinal in Saturday's MWC Tournament Championship game, which will be played at 3 p.m.