APPLETON, Wis. – Lawrence women's basketball team dropped a Midwest Conference matchup to first-place Ripon College on Wednesday night, falling 68-53 inside Alexander Gymnasium.

Ripon, which entered the contest unbeaten in conference play, used a strong second quarter to create separation. After Lawrence trailed by just two points following the opening period, the Red Hawks outscored the Vikings 24-13 in the second quarter to take a 37-24 lead into halftime.

Lawrence battled throughout the second half and showed resilience defensively, holding Ripon to 31 points over the final two quarters. The Vikings closed the gap in the fourth quarter with their best offensive stretch of the night, scoring 19 points in the final frame, but were unable to overcome the halftime deficit.

Kate Adams led all Lawrence scorers with a game-high 20 points, knocking down five three-pointers and shooting 7-for-14 from the field. Adams also added three assists and two steals in a strong all-around performance.

Charlotte Brennan added 10 points while playing all 38 minutes, contributing two blocks, two assists, and a steal. Sophie Morey chipped in six points and a team-best five rebounds, and Josie Chose made her presence felt defensively with four blocks to go along with four points.

Lawrence moves to 15-5 overall and 8-3 in Midwest Conference play. The Vikings will look to bounce back as conference play continues this weekend when they travel to Cornell College.