Red Hawks experience slight turbulence

After a hot start to the conference season, the Ripon Men's Basketball team has hit the inevitable bump in the road. Prior to road games played at Lake Forest and Illinois College during the weekend of Jan. 22-24, the Red Hawks had played their way to a convincing spot at number two in the Midwest Conference standings, trailing only St. Norbert, and by only one game. Throughout the first two months of the season, Ripon lost consecutive games only once. Head Coach Bob Gillespie's flock was flying high, riding a jet stream of momentum to a 9-3 (5-1) record. Not only was the team's record stellar, but talent on an individual level has proven to be sublime.

"I don't think our success has been about any one thing," said Gillespie. "Probably the biggest difference between this year's team and last year's is the improvements we've made on the defensive end."

The one-two punch of junior point guard Scott Gillespie and sophomore forward Aris Wurtz continues to amaze, as the two average around 40 points per game combined. Additionally, the Red Hawks have proven that on any given night, another player can soar to the front. Seasoned veterans such as forwards Alex Tomsheck and Martin Esters as well as guard Andy Perrine have proven to be scoring threats at any moment.

"I think that it is great that any number of those guys can have a break out game," said the younger Gillespie. "I really think it is hard for other teams to match up because we have a number of guys that can really have break out games."

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise for Ripon this season has been the development of first year guard Taylor Koth from Cedarburg, Wis. Koth has scored in double figures multiple times this season and worked his way into the starting lineup. Koth's positive contributions have gotten the attention of his coach. "Taylor is very athletic and has great strength. He's got a scorer's mentality and can defend very well on the perimeter."

And still, despite all this talent and potential, the Red Hawks were undoubtedly going to come across the inadvertent error; the proverbial pitfall.

Gillespie knew that things were going to get tougher. When asked about the weekend trip prior to departure, he seemed worried not only about basketball, but traveling. "We're going to be playing in Chicago on Friday night and then bussing four hours. We won't get in until 1 or 2 in the morning. It's gonna' be tough."

Wurtz, who has taken center stage as a breakout star this season, mirrored the guru of Ripon basketball's concerns. "Both Lake Forest and Illinois College will be challenging games, and our performance in these upcoming games will help us identify who we are and what we are capable of."

Against Lake Forest, Ripon got off to a fast start. A 15-5 run, largely fueled by six straight points by junior point guard Scott Gillespie, gave the visitors an early double-digit lead; however, the Foresters would close the lead down to two before senior guard Andy Perrine buried a triple before halftime to give the Red Hawks a five point lead at halftime.

Lake Forest kept coming after intermission. The Red Hawks held their lead for the majority of the second half; however, the home team wouldn't be denied. Sophomore forward and reigning Midwest Conference Performer of the Week, Travis Clark, gave the Foresters their first lead since the early minutes of the contest with just over nine minutes to play. The two teams traded baskets and big shots down the stretch, but it was Clark who made the last one, scoring again for the final lead change with 42 seconds remaining. In the end, the sophomore standout finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds while making 11 of his 19 field goals and converting all six of his free throws, leading his team to a gritty 76-70 win.

Lake Forest benefited from a Ripon slump in the second half. Gillespie had to watch from the sideline as his team shot only 11 of 32 in the second half. The Foresters also did well from the free throw stripe, making 17 of 23 as a team. The Red Hawks made 89% of their attempts, but those attempts consisted of only nine shots.

After a late night and arrival, Ripon made one final stop at Illinois College prior to returning home. Unfortunately, the Red Hawks were buried under a flurry of scoring by the Blueboys. Only seven days earlier, the Red Hawks had run the Blueboys out of Wyman Gymnasium but the tables turned in the most significant of ways when the teams reconvened.

"We know that Illinois will be much stronger the second time around and at their place," said a wary Wurtz prior to the weekend trip.

"It's going to be a war out there," agreed a grim Coach Gillespie.

As it turns out, Illinois College fed off a smorgasbord of double-digit scorers, led by first year guard Nathan Kohler and sophomore forward Craig Bals, in a contest that they dominated. The two Blueboys scored 20 points each and first year guard Jacob Tucker, as well as first year forward Isaac Grapperhaus added 16 and ten respectively. The home team never trailed in the contest and their guests were barely able to keep pace with them for even the first few minutes. After a three by Wurtz and a jumper by Gillespie that pulled the Red Hawks even at five, the Blueboys pulled ahead for good, eventually prevailing 84-65.

Ripon displayed their worst shooting of the season, making only 32 percent of their field goal attempts. In contrast, Illinois College shot over 50 percent (27-52) from the field and also made nine of their 20 three point attempts. As bad as their shooting was in the first half, Ripon's second half was even worse. The Red Hawks went ice cold in the second half for the second straight game en route to making a paltry eight of their 31 field goal attempts (26 percent).

It will be of monumental importance that the Red Hawks bounce back after an extremely disappointing weekend. On the bright side, four of Ripon's next five games will be played within the friendly confines of the J.M. Storzer Center. One can only hope that a little home cooking can be the remedy for this sudden spike of mediocrity.