MOUNT VERNON – Buoyed by a 21-point win over Grinnell in Saturday's regular-season finale, Cornell locked up the No. 4 seed in this week's Midwest Conference Women's Basketball Tournament.
 
Coach Brent Brase's Rams qualified for postseason play for the fifth time in eight years. And on each occasion, the tournament has been held in Ripon, Wis.
 
The Rams (15-9) will try to upend top-seeded and 18th-ranked Ripon (23-2) on its home court in a semifinal game at 5 p.m. Friday at Weiske Gymnasium. No. 2 seed Lawrence (20-5) faces No. 3 seed Knox (13-12) in Friday's second semifinal at 7 p.m.
 
The winners advance to Saturday's championship at 3 p.m. for an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
Fans can follow the action via live video and live stats. An audio-only feed will also be available by Jack Carlson for Cornell's game(s).  
 
The Rams are making their 10th MWC Tournament appearance under coach Brase since rejoining the league in 2012-13. The team has reached the championship game five times during the span, claiming titles in 2018 and 2013.
 
Cornell will get its third crack this season at a talented Ripon squad that went 16-0 in MWC play. The Red Hawks have won 18 consecutive games, only one of those decided by single digits.
 
Ripon beat the Rams in the regular season, 89-59 and 76-40. Cornell fell 78-47 to the Red Hawks in last year's MWC semifinal.  
 
The young Rams are among the league's top defensive teams, allowing only 54.0 points per contest. Cornell is 13-0 in games this season when scoring 60 points.
 
Sophomore forward Erin Knowles ranks second in the MWC in scoring (19.7 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (7.1 rpg). She is only eight points shy from breaking her own single-season scoring record of 479.
 
Junior Heidi Jorgensen averages 9.1 points with 45 made 3-pointers, fourth-most in the MWC.
 
Two-time defending MWC Tournament champion Ripon averages an MWC-best 75.3 points per game and ranks No. 2 nationally in rebounding margin (+15.8 rpg). Laney Havlovitz leads four Red Hawk scorers in double figures at 14.0 points.
 
The Rams are seeking their first series win in Ripon, Wis., since the 2017-18 season.