A hot-shooting night for visiting Ripon College was too much for the Beloit College men's basketball team to overcome as the Buccaneers fell to the Red Hawks 76-59. Ripon shot 59-percent from the field in the contest. The Bucs shot well especially from three-point range but were not able to come back from a first half deficit.

Beloit made 5-11 from beyond the arc in the first half but the Red Hawks came out firing on all cylinders shooting 60-percent in the first 20 minutes of the game to take a 39-21 lead at the intermission. 

The gap swelled to as much as 26 about midway through the second half. The Bucs used a 9-0 later in the period to cut the margin but were unable to complete the comeback leading to the 76-59 final. 

The story of the game took place in the lane as Ripon outscored Beloit 44-24 on points in the paint. 

Darin Empereur led all players with 19 points bolstered by 70-percent shooting from the floor and 4-7 from three-point range adding a game-high five assists. Andrew Walters tallied 11 points and tied teammate Tristan Shoup for team-high honors on the glass with seven rebounds. 

Up Next: The Bucs will head north to Appleton to take on Lawrence University Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.