The Illinois College men's basketball team secured a 65-52 win over Ripon in a Midwest Conference game on Saturday afternoon at Sherman Gymnasium, Jacksonville, Illinois. This victory improved the Blueboys' record to 6-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while Ripon fell to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in the league.
Both teams faced offensive challenges early on, with Illinois College shooting .267 (8-30) and Ripon shooting .296 (8-27) during the first half. Despite trailing by up to eight points initially, the Blueboys managed to take a narrow 26-25 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the contest remained close until Ripon led 36-35 with just over eleven minutes left. The Blueboys then executed a decisive 20-6 run over six-plus minutes, extending their lead to as much as sixteen points with less than three minutes remaining. This surge helped them secure their first conference win of the season.
Ty Lenhardt led Illinois College with seventeen points. Buzz Ritzel contributed nine points and ten rebounds, while Seth Doss added eight points and ten boards.
Illinois College has been successful recently, winning thirty-eight of its last forty-five games and fifty-five of its past sixty-two contests. Buzz Ritzel is nearing a milestone with 977 career points, alongside teammate Josh Harris who has accumulated 951 career points.
Next week, Illinois College will continue their Midwest Conference campaign on the road against Lawrence for a game scheduled at 3:00 p.m.
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