Central, 1-3, led by as many as five points in the first half and trailed just 32-31 at the break. Ripon, 3-0, took an early 10-point lead in the second half, but Central clawed to within 54-48 with 8:10 left. Ripon stretched the lead to 59-52 with 5:14 remaining, then broke things open with 13 unanswered points in the next 2:19, making it 72-52.
Guard Rachel Lenox had 22 points on eight of 14 shooting while center Ashley Nekola had 15 points and 10 rebounds. But no other Central player had more than five points. The Dutch made just seven trips to the foul line as Lenox was five of five and Nekola hit one of two.
Ripon placed four players in double figures, headed by Karalyn Dehn with 19. The Red Hawks shot 52.6 percent from the floor, including 55.6 percent in the second half, while Central shot 41.1 percent, including a chilly 34.5 percent after halftime. Ripon held a 33-32 edge on the boards and Central was guilty of 28 turnovers.
The Dutch take on host Wis.-La Crosse Saturday at 3 p.m. while Ripon meets Augustana College (Ill.) at 1 p.m. Wis.-La Crosse took a 2-1 record into Friday night’s game against Augustana.