EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- The Ripon women's basketball program (1-0, 0-0 MWC) opened their 2025-26 campaign with an 80-59 win over the Blue Devils of UW-Stout (0-1, 0-0 WIAC). Four Ripon players would earn double digit scoring totals, with guard Laney Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) leading all scorers on a 21-point outing. 

Ripon took a slight lead early in Saturday's game, wrestling for control with efficient offense and aggressive perimeter defense. Hounding UW-Stout on every possession and sealing passing lanes, the Red Hawks took a 15-12 lead after the first quarter, narrowly edging out the Blue Devils in the turnover battle 7-6. Focusing on ball control, the Red Hawks cut down on turnovers after the first ten minutes, committing 10 more across the remainder of the game while forcing an average of more than 5 a quarter from the opposition. The Red Hawks would finishing with 7 fewer turnovers than UW-Stout, scoring 22 points on 23 turnovers. 

After a quiet first quarter, Havolvitz began to find her rhythm in the second, scoring 9 of the Red Hawks' 20 second quarter points while adding a steal and a block. The guard would finish her night with 21 points on 7-12 shooting, including 2-4 from behind the arc, contributing to a Ripon offense maintaining 50% shooting from the floor and 38.5% shooting from deep.

The Red Hawks entered halftime with a 35-25 lead behind the strong guard play, but found more success in the second from forward Sophie Schlieve (Antigo, Wis., Antigo HS). Schlieve would score 12 of her 18 total points in the second half, adding in 6 rebounds, a block, and 2 steals for the game, shooting 70% from the field and going 4-4 from the free throw line. Guard Natalie Rauwolf (Madison, Wis., Madison Memorial HS) contributed to the strong second half showing, helping the Red Hawks extend their lead to 18 heading into the fourth quarter. Rauwolf scored 14 points on 6-12 shooting, with another starting guard, Karsyn Nelson (Cottage Grove, Wis., Monona Grove HS), rounding out the Ripon top four scorers with a 10 point outing.

Although Ripon was slightly edged out in the rebound battle 37-39, forward Halle Van Horn (Fredonia, Wis., Random Lake HS) provided a key presence on the boards while earning a stat-sheet filling defensive performance. Van Horn would lead all players with 10 rebounds, recording 3 blocks and 3 steals to go along with 6 points. The Red Hawks maintained their lead until the final horn sounded, winning the season opener 80-59. 

Two Red Hawks earned their first points in the contest, as freshmen guards Moriah Sears (Spanaway, Wash., Bethel HS) and Cali Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) each hit a free throw to open their college careers.

The Red Hawks return to action tomorrow, Nov 9, against UW-Eau Claire. The Blugolds are coming off an 83-52 win over Lakeland University, and tallied an 8-17 record overall in the 2024-25 season.