JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - Ripon's men's basketball team dropped their second game in as many days Sunday afternoon, falling to Illinois College 70-64 in a game that featured six ties and 13 lead changes, including 11 in the first half alone. Illinois College shot 50 percent (24-48) from the field, including 41 percent (9-22) from 3-point range, while Ripon converted 44 percent (27-62) of their shots.

In what was a tightly contested first half, neither team led by five, as Illinois College (8-7, 4-3 MWC) took a 23-18 lead with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. Ripon (10-7, 6-2 MWC) then took a three-point advantage, scoring eight consecutive points, including a pair of 3-pointers by Ryan Steffes. Illinois College would score the next six points to grab the lead back, but Ripon answered with four consecutive points of their own. Illinois College would then score the final four points of the half to take a 31-30 lead into intermission.

Illinois College would hold that lead until three minutes into the second half when a Luke Meinholz jumper gave the Red Hawks the lead once more. After baskets by Owen Theune and Dominic Galati, Ripon led by five with 16 minutes to play, but Illinois College would grab the lead once more on a 3-pointer from Jaxson Dian with 11 and a half minutes to play. The Blueboys would build a 10-point advantage with just under seven minutes remaining, but Ripon got back into the game with a 12-2 run, capped by a Drew Jorgensen 3-pointer to tie the score at 62 with one and a half minutes left. A Tre Rogers layup on the ensuing possession would then give IC a lead that they would never relinquish.

Jaylen Mahone led Ripon with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench, while Theune and Steffes each scored 12 points. 

Illinois College was led by 18 points from Jake Mazrimas, while Henry Hayer and Hunter Ottensmeier scored 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Ripon will try to rebound on Saturday when they'll face Cornell College on what will be Ripon's annual Alumni Basketball Day celebration. That game will begin at 1 p.m. in Ripon, Wis., and can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.