(Batesville, IN) – South Ripley opened the Ripley County Tournament with a hard-fought 60–56 win over Milan in Wednesday night’s first opening-round game at the Dog Pound.
Milan controlled much of the first half, leading 16–14 after the first quarter and taking a 30–26 advantage into halftime. South Ripley responded after the break, outscoring the Indians 19–14 in the third quarter to grab a 45–44 lead heading into the fourth.
The Raiders held on down the stretch, winning the final quarter 15–12. After Milan defended South Ripley’s initial late possession, the Raiders forced a stop on the other end and capped the night with a breakaway layup at the buzzer to seal the four-point victory.
South Ripley was led by juniors Drew Volz and Dylan Jessee, who scored 18 points apiece. Eli Gilpin added 11 points, including the final basket. Bryson Sipples finished with seven points, Mason Bascom scored four, and Landon Werner added two.
Milan was paced by Gabe Riehle, who poured in a game-high 25 points, most of them coming in the paint. Micah Norman added 16 points, while Grant Langferman scored eight, all in the first half. Josh Pettit had three points, with Ethan Clark and Benjamin Knowlton scoring two each.
South Ripley shot 23 of 41 from the field, including 6 of 15 from three-point range, and committed eight turnovers. Milan finished 23 of 43 overall but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 14 three-point attempts.
With the win, South Ripley advances to face Batesville in Saturday night’s Ripley County Tournament championship game. Milan will play Jac-Cen-Del in the consolation matchup.