In a critical matchup for securing a berth in the Midwest Conference tournament, the Lake Forest men's basketball team battled tooth and nail with Ripon College, with both teams entering Wednesday's game tied for fourth place in the conference.
 
The Foresters held Ripon to just 31.1 percent shooting and overcame a slow start to earn a 64-57 victory in the team's final home game this season.
 
Forward Cristian Rodriguez led Lake Forest (12-12, 9-6 MWC) with 16 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the year.
 
After being held to just one point and zero made field goals in the season's first meeting with Ripon on Jan. 14, the Foresters' leading scorer Alex Knight was determined to not be shut down again. The senior scored 14 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting.
 
Both teams opened the game with frenetic effort on defense, leading to a low-scoring opening half. The teams combined to shoot 31 percent from the field and made just 4-of-21 three-pointers.
 
Rodriguez carried the Foresters offense in the first half. The forward from Texas recorded nine points and five rebounds in the opening half as both teams struggled offensively to find a rhythm. Rodriguez and Knight accounted for 16 of the Foresters' 23 first-half points. However, it was Ripon that entered halftime with a 30-23 lead.
 
In the second half, the Foresters utilized a 10-0 run to take the lead. Wing Coltrane Marchand drilled a three-pointer, then was fouled on a three-point attempt and drained all three free throws. Marchand then capped off the run with a driving layup off a feed from Rodriguez.
 
It was the Foresters defense that kept the Red Hawks in check down the stretch, as Ripon scored just four points in the final five minutes of the game.
 
With Cornell losing 81-65 to Monmouth on Wednesday, the Foresters moved into sole possession of fourth place in the conference with just one game remaining in the regular season, with the top four teams making the MWC Tournament.
 
The Foresters will finish out the regular season on the road at Beloit College on Saturday at 3 p.m.