RIPON, Wis. -- A fast start wasn't enough to withstand a second-half surge from a strong UW-Whitewater team, as the Ripon College men's basketball team dropped its 2025-26 home opener 76-58 on Friday night inside Weiske Gymnasium.

Ripon led for much of the opening half and went into the locker room trailing by just one, 27-26, before the visiting Warhawks exploded for 49 second-half points behind 60% shooting from the field.

STANDOUT HAWKS

• Sophomore forward Michael Asman (Kimberly, Wis., Kimberly HS) led the Red Hawks with 18 points on an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, while adding three rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
• Junior guard Seth Bunders (Wauzeka, Wis., Wauzeka-Steuben HS) contributed 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while seniors CJ Brown (Minneapolis, Minn., Minneapolis North Area HS) and Kolby Williams (New Orleans, La., Heights HS) each added seven points. Williams also chipped in six rebounds and a block.
• Sophomore guard Sam Leoni (Hartland, Wis., Arrowhead HS) was steady throughout with a team-high five assists and four made free throws.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

Ripon came out firing, opening the contest on a 10-0 run fueled by early threes from Asman and Bunders. The Red Hawks' defense swarmed UW-Whitewater early, holding the visitors without a field goal for nearly four minutes.
Whitewater clawed back midway through the half, eventually taking its first lead at 19-18 before both teams traded blows to close the period. The Warhawks held a narrow 27-26 edge at halftime, setting the stage for a tightly contested second frame.

The Warhawks flipped the momentum out of the break, opening the second half with a 22-10 stretch over the first eight minutes to create breathing room. Ripon managed to stay within single digits behind timely shooting from Bunders and Asman, but Whitewater's size and efficiency in the paint proved too much down the stretch. The visitors pulled away late, outscoring Ripon 49-32 in the half and closing on a 14-6 run.

KEY STATS

• UW-Whitewater shot 49.0% (25-52) from the field and 66.7% (22-33) at the line.
• Ripon finished 37.3% (19-51) overall and 33.3% (7-21) from three.
• The Warhawks owned a 36-18 rebounding advantage, including 12 offensive boards leading to 13 second chance points.
• Ripon forced 12 turnovers, scoring 16 points off those miscues.
• The Red Hawks hit 81.3% (13-16) from the free throw line.

UP NEXT

Ripon heads to Green Bay for a non-conference exhibition matchup against UW-Green Bay on Monday, Nov. 10, at 11 am.