APPLETON, Wis. -- The Ripon College men's basketball team scored the game's final five points to pull out an 82-77 Midwest Conference win at Lawrence University on Wednesday night.
Aris Wurtz scored a season-high 24 points off the bench to pace Ripon (6-9, 4-5 MWC). Scott Gillespie added 22 points and nine assists for the Red Hawks. Ryan Kroeger led Lawrence with 19 points, and Chris Page added 18. Doug Kadison had a career-high 12 assists and pulled down a team-high six rebounds for Lawrence.
Lawrence trailed throughout the first half, and the Vikings were down 39-34 at the break. The Vikings opened the second half on a 16-4 run to take a 50-43 lead with 14:18 left. Kroeger scored eight points in that stretch and Page added six.
Ripon chipped away at hte lead and pulled even at 66-66 on Wurtz's layup with 5:41 left. After a 3-pointer by Dustin Lee gave Lawrence a 69-66 edge, the Red Hawks went on a 9-2 run to take a 75-71 lead with 2:29 remaining.
John Dekker then buried a 3-pointer for Lawrence, but Ripon countered with a pair of Gillespie free throws. Dekker hit another 3-pointer to tie the game at 77-77 with 1:05 remaining.
Gillespie made another free throw to put Ripon up 78-77 with 44 seconds left, and Kroeger missed a 3-pointer at the other end. Wurtz grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both foul shots to give Ripon an 80-77 lead with 27 seconds left.
Kroeger turned the ball over, and Andy Perrine made two free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the win.
Lawrence returns to action Saturday when it travels to Carroll University.