RIPON, Wisconsin – The Ripon women's basketball program started the game on a 33-4 run and turned in its best defensive performance of the season en route to an 83-40 win over Monmouth on Saturday afternoon inside Weiske Gymnasium.
 
Ripon (10-6, 7-0 MWC) allowed just nine points in the first half – four in the first quarter and five in the second. Monmouth (2-14, 0-7 MWC) only shot 19.3% from the field throughout the game, marking the lowest field goal percentage against Ripon since Lawrence and Grinnell each shot 18.4% on January 11, 2023 and January 21, 2017 respectively.
 
STANDOUT HAWKS

• Junior forward Ella Ten Pas secured her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 70.0% from the field (7-of-10). She also had 2 assists.
• Freshman guard Laney Havlovitz tied a career-high with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting while dishing out a career-high 6 assists.
• Senior forward Bonnie Jensen contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals.
• Sophomore guard Natalie Rauwolf netted 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
• Senior forward Anna Cunningham had a career-high 6 points, making all three of her field goal attempts.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
It didn't take Ripon long to find the scoreboard as the Red Hawks scored the first five points of the game in just a minute and a half. After Monmouth scored four of the next six points, the Red Hawks dominated the rest of the quarter, ending the period on an 11-0 run over the last 6:02. Jensen scored 4 of those 11 points, while Ten Pas (2), Rauwolf (2), Havlovitz (2) and Sophie Schlieve (1) each chipped in baskets.
 
Ripon kept the momentum going in the second quarter, scoring the first 15 points of the frame before Monmouth finally got on the board with just over three minutes remaining in the half. Ripon's 26-0 run spanning two quarters marked its longest scoring spurt of the season. The Scots scored five of the final 12 points of the quarter but the Red Hawks held a 40-9 advantage at intermission.
 
Ripon continued to score in bunches in the third quarter. After Monmouth scored the first basket of the second half, Jensen made a layup and Ripon's lead was at least 30 for the remainder of the quarter. The Scots did go on a 6-0 run in the later stages of the frame, holding Ripon scoreless for nearly three minutes, but the Red Hawks ended the stanza on a 6-0 spurt of their own to lead by 37 with 10 minutes yet to play.
 
Monmouth scored six of the first 10 points in the fourth quarter, though an 8-0 Ripon run followed and bumped the lead up to 43. The Scots scored the next four points at the free-throw line, but never got closer than 39 the rest of the way. The 40 points given up is the fewest by Ripon since the Red Hawks allowed 38 to Cornell on February 10, 2023.
 
KEY STATS

• Ripon shot 52.2% (35-of-67) from the floor, marking the third consecutive game with a shooting percentage of 50.0% or better.
• Ripon grabbed 45 rebounds, conceding just 24.
• The Red Hawks tied a season-low with 13 turnovers and forced 19 on the Scots.
• Ripon scored 60 points in the paint compared to Monmouth's 16.
• Ashley Jones had a team-high 9 points for Monmouth.

UP NEXT
Ripon stays home to face Lawrence on Wednesday (January 17) at 7:30 p.m.
 
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