LAKE FOREST, Illinois – The Ripon men's basketball program couldn't withstand a second half Lake Forest run and fell 64-57 to the Foresters on Wednesday night inside the Sports & Recreation Center.
 
After Wednesday's results, Ripon (11-13, 8-7 MWC) needs a win Saturday, coupled with losses by both Lake Forest (12-12, 9-6 MWC) and Cornell, to have a fighting chance at qualifying for next weekend's Midwest Conference Tournament.
 
STANDOUT HAWKS

• Junior forward Kolby Williams scored a career-high 22 points, adding 11 rebounds and two blocks.
• Senior guard Cade Tackmier contributed nine points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
• Senior forward Cameron Ford added eight points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
• Senior guard/forward Luke Meinholz scored seven points to go along with four rebounds and two assists.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
Points were at a premium for most of the first half. Trailing 4-3, Ripon strung five consecutive points together to go up four early, and it would not relinquish that lead the rest of the half. Leading 12-9, the Red Hawks went on a 6-0 spurt while holding Lake Forest scoreless for over five minutes – the Foresters finally crossed into double digits with seven and a half minutes remaining. Tackmier split a pair of free throws with two minutes left in the half to put Ripon up 28-18, but Lake Forest scored five of the final seven points in the frame to trail 30-23 at intermission.
 
Lake Forest quickly cut its deficit to four in the opening 45 seconds of half two. An old-fashioned three-point play by Williams gave Ripon a 41-33 lead, but a 10-0 Lake Forest run put the game on its head and gave the Foresters a 43-41 advantage with 13:17 left. From there, the teams traded baskets and the lead. Up 55-53, Lake Forest scored the next five points to go up seven as Ripon was held scoreless for nearly three and half minutes. The Red Hawks would get no closer than five the remainder of the game and fell by seven.
 
KEY STATS

• Ripon shot just 19-of-61 from the field (31.1%) and 3-of-22 from the three-point line (13.6%).
• Lake Forest shot 38.3% from the floor (23-of-60), and was at least 40% from both the floor and beyond the arc in the second half.
• The Red Hawks committed just eight turnovers, their fifth consecutive game with less than 12 giveaways.
• There were five ties and five lead changes in the game.
• Cristian Rodriguez led Lake Forest with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

UP NEXT
Ripon ends the regular season at home against Lawrence on Saturday (February 22) at 3 p.m. Saturday's game will also serve as Senior Day for the Red Hawks.
 
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