RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon College women's basketball team continued its strong Midwest Conference start with a dominant 76-47 victory over Lake Forest on Friday afternoon inside the Weiske Gymnasium.
The Red Hawks improved to 9-2 overall and remained perfect in conference play at 4-0, pulling away after a competitive opening quarter with a commanding effort on both ends of the floor.
Lake Forest kept the game close early, as Ripon held a narrow 23-21 lead after the first quarter. The Red Hawks began to create separation in the second, using defensive pressure and rebounding to limit Lake Forest to just seven points in the period and take a 38-28 advantage into halftime.
Ripon took full control coming out of the break. The Red Hawks opened the third quarter with a decisive run, forcing turnovers and turning them into transition opportunities. Ripon outscored Lake Forest 24-6 in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 62-34 and effectively putting the game out of reach.
The defensive effort was highlighted by a record-setting performance from sophomore
Karsyn Nelson (Cottage Grove, Wis., Monona Grove HS), who recorded nine steals to set a new Ripon single-game record, surpassing the previous mark of eight. Nelson's pressure helped fuel Ripon's offense, as the Red Hawks finished with 43 points off turnovers.
Junior
Sophie Schlieve (Antigo, Wis., Antigo HS) led Ripon with a game-high 20 points and 15 rebounds, anchoring the Red Hawks in the paint. Junior
Laney Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) added 13 points and six rebounds, while freshman
Moriah Sears (Spanaway, Wash., Bethel HS) contributed eight points off the bench. Ripon held a significant rebounding advantage, outrebounding Lake Forest 49-23, and scored 46 points in the paint.
The Red Hawks closed out the game in the fourth quarter while continuing to rotate players, sealing the 29-point win at home.
Ripon will look to carry its momentum into the BSN Winter Classic where they will take on UW-Superior to kick it off on Sunday, Dec 28, at 1pm at the Oshkosh Arena.