The victory improved Ripon to 2-0 on the season, while the Crusaders fell to 0-2.
The Red Hawks hit a blistering 21 of 32 shots (65 percent) from the field in the opening period Saturday to take a commanding early lead. Ripon was up by 10 points midway through the first 20 minutes and took a 50-28 advantage into the locker room.
The hot shooting continued for the Red Hawks in the second half as Ripon hit 17 of 35 attempts for 48 percent from the field. The Red Hawks increased their advantage and cruised to the final 30-point margin.
Besides McMullen, Ripon got 18 points from Tommy Becker. The hot shooting senior guard hit eight of 11 attempts from the field. He also pulled down five rebounds, dished out five assists, blocked two shots and committed two steals. Bo Johnson, who had 19 points in Ripon’s victory over Marian College on Friday, added 13 points.
The Red Hawks shot 56 percent (38-67) from the field, 31 percent (6-19) from long range and 50 percent (7-14) from the charity stripe. Ripon had 34 rebounds, 17 assists, eight blocked shots and 15 steals.
Maranatha Baptist had four players in double figures, led by Jim Bonner with 17 points. Tim Jones chipped in with 15 points, while Kyle Pfeffe and James Solarek added 10 points each.
As a team, the Crusaders shot 29 percent (20-68) from the field, including 18 percent (5-27) from behind the arc. Maranatha connected on 14 of 21 free throws for 66 percent. MBBC had 30 rebounds, nine assists, one blocked shot and eight steals.
Ripon will now turn its attention to the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, one of the premiere Division III teams in the nation. The Red Hawks will battle UWL in Ripon on Friday, November 26. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Ripon College, founded in 1851, has been providing a quality, personal liberal arts and sciences education to undergraduates for more than 150 years. Recognized as “A Best 357 College” by The Princeton Review and among 160 of the best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction, Ripon offers NCAA Division III athletic competition in 20 sports for men and women. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.