The Pioneers took the court with their first-ever national ranking after being ranked #25 in the latest D3hoops.com poll.
Carroll couldn’t shake the Red Hawks in the first half and held just a 33-32 advantage at the break.
The second was another story. The Pioneers shot a blistering 62.1% from the field in the final 20-minutes, including 64.3% (9-of-14) from three-point land, as they outscored the Red Hawks 54-30.
“We stepped up our defensive intensity in the 2nd half and got some stops that helped us get out on the break. We got a lead and they tightened up and we kept attacking,” said Carroll head coach David Schultz. “They played a lot of zone and we were able to knock down shots in the 2nd half we were missing in the first. Stratton and Drury were feeding off of each other.” Stratton was 4-of-6 from three-point land while Drury was 5-of-8.
Senior Jason Scheper (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) had a stellar game at both ends of the floor. He recorded 16 points and 15 rebounds while banging with the Ripon big men. “Scheper was a presence in all areas of the game,” said Schultz. “He did all the things you need from your senior leader.”
Ripon was led by junior Brian Schmitting (Hilbert, Wis./Hilbert), who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Sophomore Bo Johnson (Wausau, Wis./East), Ripon’s leading scorer, was held to just 12 points. Schultz credits his team’s defensive efforts on Johnson, especially the effort of junior Buck Colomy (Littleton, Colo./Littleton) in the 2nd half. “Buck did a great job on Johnson during a key stretch in the 2nd half when we were able to pull away,” said Schultz. “We made him work very hard for everything he got.”
The Pioneers return to action on Friday, Jan. 27 when they travel to Illinois College for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.