APPLETON, Wis. - For the fourth consecutive season, the road to the NCAA Division-III Tournament will go through Ripon, Wisconsin, as the Red Hawks' women's basketball team clinched hosting rights for the 2022 Midwest Conference Tournament thanks to a 63-39 win at Lawrence University. The win also gives Ripon, winners of six straight games, the outright MWC Championship for the third consecutive season, while earning a share of the MWC title for the fourth straight year.

Ripon (14-9, 13-1 MWC) was in a battle during the first half, which featured four lead changes. The Red Hawks scored the first six points of the game, but Lawrence (8-11, 5-6 MWC) battled back to take their first lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter. After the lead changed hands several times, Bonnie Jensen gave the Red Hawks a two-point halftime lead with a layup in the final seconds before intermission.

Once the second half began, it was all Red Hawks, as they shot 56 percent (15-27) after the break, while holding Lawrence to 22 percent (5-23) shooting in the final 20 minutes. Ripon outscored the Vikings 25-6 in the third quarter alone to take a 21-point entering the final quarter.

Ripon received a balanced attack with four players in double figures. Jensen and Alison Leslie each scored 13 points, to go along with eight and seven rebounds, respectively, while Skyylar Brescia recorded her sixth career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds (five offensive). Bella Opelt added 11 points, while Kiana Fall posted five points, four rebounds, and a game-high six assists.

Lawrence was led by Kenya Earl's 15 points and seven rebounds, while Delaney Brooks added nine points and a team-high four assists off the bench. Maggie Culver and Mallory Meyer chipped in with eight and seven points, respectively, as those were the only four players to score a point for the Vikings.

Ripon will try to continue their recent hot streak when they'll host Monmouth College on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on what will be Senior Day, honoring Annika Anderson and Cydney Pittenger. That game can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.