LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Ripon College women's basketball team delivered a dominant road performance Tuesday night, cruising to a 72-29 Midwest Conference victory over Lake Forest College at the Sports & Recreation Center.
Ripon set the tone early and never looked back, opening the game with a 19-10 first-quarter advantage before tightening the screws defensively in the second period. The Red Hawks held the Foresters to just six points in the second quarter and carried a commanding 35-16 lead into halftime.
The third quarter proved decisive, as Ripon overwhelmed Lake Forest on both ends of the floor. The Red Hawks outscored the hosts 20-4 in the period, forcing turnovers that led to fast-break opportunities and easy baskets. Ripon limited Lake Forest to 24.4 percent shooting for the game while forcing 25 turnovers overall.
Balanced scoring highlighted the Red Hawks' effort, with junior Laney Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) and senior Natalie Rauwolf (Madison, Wis., Madison Memorial HS) each scoring 10 points to lead the team. Sophomore Halle Van Horn (Fredonia, Wis., Random Lake HS) added nine points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in just 20 minutes of action. Sophomore Karsyn Nelson (Cottage Grove, Wis., Monona Grove HS) chipped in seven points, while senior McKenzie Bestor (La Valle, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) added seven off the bench as Ripon totaled 32 bench points.
Junior Sophie Schlieve (Antigo, Wis., Antigo HS) anchored the interior with a team-high 11 rebounds and three blocks, helping Ripon win the rebounding battle, 45-26. The Red Hawks also scored 40 points in the paint and finished with 17 fast-break points.
Ripon continued to extend its lead in the fourth quarter while rotating players, eventually pushing the margin past 40 points before closing out the decisive win.
With the victory, Ripon improves to 17-2 overall and remains undefeated in Midwest Conference play at 10-0. The Red Hawks return home to host Illinois College on Saturday, Jan 31, with tipoff set for 3pm at the Willmore Center.
