Sangamon Sun

Illinois College secured a spot in the Midwest Conference Championship Game by defeating Ripon 72-68 in the semifinals at Sherman Gymnasium. The Blueboys, holding the top seed, improved their record to 22-4, while Ripon concluded their season with an 11-15 record.

Jake Mazrimas, named Midwest Conference Player of the Year, led all scorers with 24 points. Buzz Ritzel, another first-team All-Midwest Conference player, contributed 19 points. Josh Harris added 11 points and four assists, playing a crucial role in the final moments of the game. Nestor Daboin collected nine rebounds for Illinois College.

The Blueboys started strong, establishing a 20-9 lead within six minutes and extending it to as much as 13 points during the first half. They maintained a 37-29 advantage at halftime.

Ripon responded after the break and managed to tie the game at 46 with just over eleven minutes remaining. They even took a brief lead at 53-48 with nine minutes left. However, Harris's personal five-point run restored Illinois College's lead, which they held onto until the end. Despite Ripon's efforts to close the gap to two points, Ritzel secured the win by making four consecutive free throws in the closing seconds.

Illinois College will face second-seeded Grinnell on Saturday for the league title and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The championship game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.