GALESBURG, Ill. -- The Ripon Red Hawks dropped a tightly contested 71-67 decision on the road Saturday afternoon at Knox College.

Ripon battled throughout, taking a 28-27 lead into halftime behind balanced scoring and strong work on the glass. The Red Hawks finished with 43 rebounds, including 15 on the offensive end, creating extra possessions that kept them within striking distance all afternoon.

Sophomore Sam Leoni (Hartland, Wis., Arrowhead HS) led Ripon with 14 points, going 7-of-8 from the free throw line while adding three rebounds. Sophomore Jackson Flowers (Crivitz, Wis., Crivitz HS) provided a spark off the bench with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers that helped the Red Hawks maintain momentum in the first half. Freshman Joey Daun (Neenah, Wis., Neenah HS) also added 10 points, knocking down two shots from beyond the arc and converting key free throws in the second half.

Sophomore Keenan Rahn (Omro, Wis., Omro HS) contributed eight points and five rebounds, while junior Seth Bunders (Wauzeka, Wis., Wauzeka-Steuben HS) chipped in five points and dished out three assists. Junior Marshawn Robinson (Milwaukee, Wis., Waukesha South HS) added five points on efficient shooting and grabbed four boards in limited minutes. Junior Jack Field (Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Marian University) pulled down five rebounds and recorded three assists, helping facilitate the offense.

Sophomore Anton Kilde (Portage, Wis., Portage HS) finished with six points and two rebounds, and senior CJ Brown (Minneapolis, Minn., Minneapolis North Area HS) added five points, four rebounds and two assists. Freshman Landon Lee (Marshfield, Wis., Marshfield HS) and Jose Gonzales (Milwaukee, Wis., Martin Luther HS) also logged valuable minutes as Ripon worked through its rotation.

The Red Hawks connected on 11 three-pointers, with contributions spread throughout the lineup. Ripon shot 32.4 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the free throw line, improving significantly at the stripe in the second half (10-of-13). Despite forcing turnovers and controlling the offensive glass, the Red Hawks were unable to overcome Knox's late surge in the final minutes.

Ripon will look to regroup as it continues Midwest Conference play, aiming to turn its competitive effort into a result against Beloit College at home on Saturday, Feb 21.