The Ripon Indians's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They fell just short of Kimball by a score of 55-53.
When it comes to explaining why Ripon lost, one person who can't be blamed is Dawson Downs. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten rebounds. Those 24 points set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Baur, who scored eight points along with six rebounds.
Kimball's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Tristen DeBenedetti led the charge by scoring 11 points. Another player making a difference was Jaylen Anthony Rodgers, who scored eight points along with six rebounds.
Ripon has not been sharp recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-5 record this season. As for Kimball, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 7-4.
Ripon will head out on the road to face off against Sierra at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Kimball won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Liberty at 7:00 p.m. on December 15th.
