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Hillsdale basketball is off to an exciting start this season, and the Charger nation should get ready to rally around our teams this winter.

Women’s basketball coach Claudette Charney achieved a milestone last Saturday when she earned her 500th win. Only 11 coaches in D-II women’s basketball have ever accomplished this feat. She is the all-time winningest coach in our school’s history. The editorial board sends its congratulations to Coach Charney.

Over Thanksgiving break, Hillsdale basketball made news in a roundabout way when the men’s team was relieved of a ignominious 58-year-old NCAA scoring record. In 1954, Bevo Francis of Rio Grande College in Ohio scored 113 points against Hillsdale College, setting a single-game record. On Nov. 20, Jack Taylor, a sophomore at Grinnell College, scored 125 points against Faith Baptist, breaking the NCAA scoring record and, thankfully, taking Hillsdale College off the record book.

But Hillsdale hasn’t just relied on unusual games against D-II athletes to grow. Hillsdale athletics in general has made extraordinary strides in recent years. The fandom, however, can be a little lacking. This season, both basketball teams are winning, and we encourage each one of you to go out and be the best fan possible. Hillsdale is not the most exciting locale, especially during the winter when you get wind burnt walking to class and it seems to get dark before you finish eating lunch. Basketball games are a great way to escape the dreariness.

As veterans of the solstice grind, we think our campus benefits from winning teams and spirited fans. Players attest that the fans make an immense difference for the teams.

So go hard in the paint. Dress up, start chants, and yell. Awesome cheering sections earn awesome reputations. Duke has the Cameron Crazies. Michigan State has the Izzone. Before the season ends, the sports complex should have a reputation as one of the toughest places for opponents to play.

And perhaps cheering for the athletes and supporting remarkable coaches like Coach Charney will even boost your own morale this winter.