RIPON, Wis. -- Top-seeded Ripon College punched its ticket to the conference championship with a 65-58 win over Cornell College in the semifinal round of the Midwest Conference Tournament Friday night inside Weiske Gymnasium.
Backed by a lively home crowd, the Red Hawks controlled the tempo for much of the evening, using defensive pressure and balanced scoring to keep Cornell at arm's length.
Ripon jumped out to an early advantage behind strong interior play from sophomore Halle Van Horn (). Van Horn was efficient throughout, finishing 6-of-8 from the field for a team-high 14 points while adding seven rebounds and four blocks. The Red Hawks led 15-11 after the first quarter and extended their cushion to 36-28 by halftime, fueled by 54.5 percent shooting in the second quarter.
The third quarter proved pivotal. Ripon shot 62.5 percent in the frame and outscored Cornell 15-12 to build its largest lead of the night. Senior Natalie Rauwolf () knocked down a key three-pointer and converted in transition, while junior Sophie Schlieve () added a strong finish inside to push the margin to double digits.
Cornell made its push in the fourth behind strong perimeter shooting. The Rams cut the deficit to as few as four in the final minute, but Ripon remained poised at the free throw line. The Red Hawks went 24-of-31 at the stripe, including several late makes from junior Laney Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) and freshman Cali Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) to seal the victory.
L. Havlovitz filled the stat sheet with 12 points, six assists, four steals, and three rebounds, directing the offense and sparking transition opportunities. C. Havlovitz provided a big lift off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds, while Rauwolf added 11 points. Ripon dominated the paint 32-18 and turned 24 Cornell turnovers into 28 points.
With the win, the Red Hawks advance to the MWC Championship game, where they will host second-seeded Lawrence University on Saturday at 3 p.m. inside Weiske Gymnasium. Ripon will look to defend its home floor once more with a conference title on the line.
