RIPON, Wisconsin – The Ripon men's basketball program kept pace in a crowded Midwest Conference race with a 70-58 win over Cornell on Saturday afternoon inside Weiske Gymnasium.
 
With Ripon (6-13, 4-6 MWC) leading 22-20, the Red Hawks outscored Cornell (6-13, 3-7 MWC) 17-3 over the final four minutes of the first half and never looked back, defeating the Rams at home for the second consecutive season.
 
STANDOUT HAWKS

• Junior guard Luke Meinholz had a team-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also snared 8 rebounds and had 3 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks.
• Senior guard Connor Spielvogel tallied 17 points off the bench, including five made triples. He has now made at least five three-pointers in five games this season.
• Senior guard Cade Tackmier scored 13 points, just missing a double-double with 9 rebounds. He made a trio of threes for the fourth time in the campaign.
• Sophomore forward Kolby Williams had just 4 points but contributed 8 rebounds.
• Senior forward Cameron Ford netted 6 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
Offense was hard to come by early, as it took nearly eight minutes for someone to reach double digits. Ripon endured a nearly five-minute drought in the middle of the half as Cornell pulled ahead by six until Dominic Galati ended the skid with a triple. Ripon grabbed the lead moments later on a Spielvogel triple, but the teams traded baskets from there. Nursing a 22-20 advantage, the Red Hawks dominated the final four minutes of the half. Tackmier hit a three, Ford made a layup and Ripon went on a 14-0 run over two minutes to seize a 16-point advantage with a minute remaining in the frame. Spielvogel hit another triple for good measure after the Rams stopped the streak and Ripon led 39-23 at the break.
 
Cornell scored 10 of the first 12 points in the second half, creeping within just eight at 41-33. However, Ripon responded with the next six points to create another 16-point cushion. The lead grew to as many as 24 following a 10-point run for the Red Hawks. Cornell made a late charge to draw within 65-55 with under three minutes left, but Ripon salted the game away at the free-throw line to preserve the win.
 
KEY STATS

• Ripon shot 39.1% from the field (27-of-69) while Cornell was a hair better at 42.1% (24-of-57).
• The Red Hawks dominated the boards to the tune of 47 rebounds – Cornell had just 28.
• Ripon outscored the Rams in second-chance points (13-4) and fastbreak points (12-2).
• Ripon got 27 points from its bench, while Cornell had none.
• Jayden Meeker had a game-high 24 points for Cornell.

UP NEXT
Ripon continues its homestand on Wednesday (January 31) as the Red Hawks face Beloit at 5:30 p.m.
 
FOLLOW
Follow Ripon College Red Hawks Athletics on Facebook and @RiponRedHawks on Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to riponredhawks.com for all information, releases and schedules.