Green Knights Go Cold Against Ripon

From Staff Writer, January 31, 2017 | Women's Basketball
by Zach Herson, ,

GREEN BAY - In a close game throughout, Ripon College pulled ahead in the last minutes of play to defeat St. Norbert College 55-50 in a Midwest Conference game at UW-Green Bay's Kress Events Center.

The Green Knights (13-5, 10-3 MWC) found themselves in a tight fight throughout, with each team taking the lead at multiple points. Ripon took a small lead toward the end of the fourth quarter and St. Norbert was unable to come back.

Regan Carmichael started off the scoring with a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give the Green Knights a quick early lead. Ripon quickly made up the deficit with a 7-0 run to take a 7-3 lead. The Green Knights replied with an 11-0 run, including another Carmichael 3, to take a 14-7 lead.Ripon closed within two at 14-12 at the end of the quarter.

Ripon continued its overall 12-2 run to start the second quarter, taking a 19-16 lead over the Green Knights. St. Norbert was tied 21-21 about halfway through the second quarter. Ripon maintained a small lead or a tie for a few minutes until Brianna Byrne swished a 3-pointer to give the Green Knights a 27-26 lead into halftime.

St. Norbert scored the first six points of the second half in part thanks to a technical foul on Ripon to take a 33-26 lead. Ripon clawed back quickly to get within a pair, and later in the quarter tied it again with the Green Knights at 36 apiece. A pair of free throws late gave the Green Knights a 40-38 lead heading into the last period.

The Green Knights hung on to a three-point lead before a pair of turnovers led to Ripon taking a 42-41 lead. St. Norbert failed to take advantage of an offensive rebound on a free throw as well as a turnover by Ripon, and halfway through the fourth quarter found itself tied again at 44-44. Ripon maintained a four-point lead late at 50-46, but the Green Knights battled back within one with less than two minutes to go. Ripon extended their lead in the final minutes, and the Green Knights were unable to overtake their conference opponents.

The Green Knights shot 30.2 percent (16-for-53) from the field, weighed down by an fourth quarter where they shot only 16.7 percent (2-for-12) from the floor. Byrne led all Green Knights with 14 points, while Carmichael and Sarah Ratajczyk scored nine points apiece.

Ripon College shot 34.6 percent (18-for-52), with Emma McDonald leading all scorers with 15 points. Megan Jensen contributed 13 points while Maggie Oimoen added on nine.