GRINNELL, Iowa – Ripon College may have been fresh off beating the fourth-ranked team in the nation, but that didn't faze Grinnell College's men's basketball team in the slightest as the Pioneers used a huge second half for a 95-81 win Wednesday at Darby Gymnasium.
The win marked the 999th in program history, which dates back to the 1900-01 season.
The game was tied 48-all at halftime before Grinnell went on a 47-33 spurt in the second half to improve to 3-2 in the Midwest Conference and 8-3 overall. Ripon dipped to 2-3 in the MWC and 5-5 in all games.
Vinny Curta '19, the nation's leading scorer, had 27 points as well as seven assists and a career-high two blocks.
Ikaika Phillip '18 added a season-best 14 points, including a 3-of-3 performance from 3-point range, while Hannes Kogelnik '21 scored 10.
Sean Cullinane '18 had a career-high four assists as well as two steals, while Nathan Balcom '18 also had two steals. Jacob Ekstrand '18 grabbed six rebounds.
Ripon got out to a seven-point lead early, but Grinnell raced back as 3-pointers by Kogelnik and Jackson Breshears '21 made it 20-19. Grinnell later took its first lead at 25-23 on Ekstrand's 3-pointer.
Neither squad led by more than four the rest of the half as the teams went to their locker rooms deadlocked.
Grinnell opened the second half with a flash, as Curta and Cullinane each drained treys for a 54-48 lead.
After Ripon cut the gap to three, Curta had a 3-pointer and layup and Kogelnik a 3-pointer to make it 62-51.
Ripon got within single digits a short time later, but Cullinane and Phillip each hit from long range for a 77-63 lead with 9:04 left.
The Red Hawks came within eight points three times down the stretch, the last at 89-81 with 1:59 left.
However, Grinnell closed the game with six straight points as Curta made four free throws and Kogelnik two.
The Pioneers have a big MWC test on tap Saturday with a contest at St. Norbert College, a team receiving votes for the NCAA Division III national rankings.