EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The UW-Stout women's basketball team opened the 2025-26 campaign with a hard-fought 80-59 loss to Ripon College on Saturday evening at the Sonnentag Event Center. Despite a competitive effort that saw eight lead changes and six ties, the Blue Devils (0-1, 0-0 WIAC) were outpaced by the Red Hawks (1-0, 0-0 Midwest Conference) in a game that featured strong second-half surges from both sides.
Mary Berg led Stout with 12 points, four assists, and three steals in 32 minutes of action. Grace Schisel added 10 points, hitting two three-pointers, while Rosella Wille contributed eight points and six rebounds. Olivia Johnson came off the bench to score eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, marking her first collegiate points. Brooklyn Birt also notched her initial career points with four.
Ripon dominated the paint, outscoring Stout 42-28 inside and converting 22 points off 23 Blue Devil turnovers. Laney Havlovitz paced the Red Hawks with 21 points, while Sophie Schlieve added 18 points and six rebounds. Ripon shot an efficient 50.0 percent from the field (29-58) compared to Stout's 33.9 percent (21-62).
The game stayed close early, with Stout trailing just 15-12 after the first quarter. A 20-19 Ripon edge in the second pushed the halftime deficit to 10 (35-25). The Red Hawks pulled away in the third, outscoring the Blue Devils 22-14 to lead 57-39 entering the final period. Stout showed fight in the fourth, scoring 20 points—including fast-break buckets from Johnson and Madison Malecha—but Ripon's balanced attack sealed the victory.
Stout's bench provided a spark with 22 points, led by Johnson's efficient outing. The Blue Devils forced 16 Ripon turnovers and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds for 10 second-chance points but struggled from beyond the arc (5-21, 23.8 percent).
Up Next
The Blue Devils continue their weekend tip-off tournament tomorrow, facing Lakeland University at 1 p.m. back at the Sonnentag Event Center. Stout looks to bounce back and secure its first win of the season.
By the Numbers
- 59: Total points for Stout, with 28 in the paint and 15 off turnovers.
- 23: Turnovers committed by the Blue Devils, leading to 22 Ripon points.
- 50.0%: Ripon's field goal percentage (29-58), including 60.0% in the fourth quarter.
- 8: Lead changes in a tightly contested first half.
- 22: Bench points for Stout, highlighted by Olivia Johnson's 8.
- 1: Blocks for the Blue Devils, with Brooklyn Birt recording the lone swat.
