Women’s basketball gains experience in first season under new coach

Home Sports Women’s basketball gains experience in first season under new coach
Women’s basketball gains experience in first season under new coach
Women's Basketball vs. Grand Valley
Women’s Basketball vs. Grand Valley

A loss to Saginaw Valley State University on Feb. 25 ended the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team’s first season under head coach Todd Mitmesser. The Chargers finished with an overall record of 10-16 and 7-15 in the GLIAC, setting the groundwork for next season with an aggressive game strategy and a host of young, experienced players.
Though a GLIAC tournament spot was already out of sight, the Chargers attacked Saginaw Valley with their characteristic high-speed charge, earning a five-point lead over the GLIAC North Division champions by halftime. But a 28-2 Cardinal run beginning in the third quarter halted the Chargers’ hopes of denying Saginaw Valley a home game in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament.
“Our last game was similar to games we played in the last few weeks,” Mitmesser said. “We were beating the GLIAC North Division champions at halftime. Then in the third and fourth quarter we had open looks and we didn’t shoot them well.”
But the 73-55 final score masked successes on offense and defense. The Chargers scored 18 points in the paint against Saginaw Valley post player Emily Wendling and held the Cardinals (20-7, 17-5 GLIAC) to 0-for-12 3-point shooting.
Freshmen Makenna Ott and Allie Dewire continued to prove themselves as consistent scorers. Ott posted her fifth straight double-digit scoring game with 15 points behind 3-of-4 3-point shooting, while Dewire added 10 points and 2 assists of her own.
Though Ott said the team played well in the first-half, they lost their fire in the final two quarters.
“A lot of teams in the GLIAC come out and pick it up in the third quarter, and sometimes we get complacent,” Ott said. “They go on a run and it’s hard to come back. But we have more experience for next year. We just need to push, since that’s what we do best.”
The seniors played hard in their last game as well. Kayla Geffert put up 7 points and 7 rebounds and finished the game with the other four healthy seniors on the court.
Ott said the seniors helped the younger players as they learned a new system together this season.
“The seniors especially were so welcoming this year,” Ott said. “They led vocally and by example. For example, Kayla was always in the gym. She taught us what to do and how to be successful as a team, and now we can show that next year to the freshmen.”
Though six Chargers will be leaving the team, a core of younger players is ready to take charge next season.
“Our future is bright,” Mitmesser said. “We’re really excited about returning players, who contributed a great deal this season. We also have a strong recruiting class, with six committed players who are playing deep into their state tournaments right now.”
Geffert said Mitmesser’s coaching has laid the foundation for success in their last season in the GLIAC next year. The team’s fast playing style allowed the Chargers to consistently outscore their opponents in the first two quarters of the game, but they lost the scoring battle 483-392 in fourth quarters during the season.
“The team’s overall game IQ improved,” Geffert said. “Coach Mitmesser did a great job of not only coaching us in the fundamentals, but going beyond that to how he sees the game and how to make plays and read defenses. So we understand the game more.”
As the Chargers transition to offseason workouts, Mitmesser said the players will continue to develop their games.
“In the spring, we’ll work on building individual games to get a broader and deeper idea of how to play basketball,” Mitmesser said. “We expect every individual player to improve their skills both on offense and defense.”
Geffert said though they suffered disappointing losses, the women’s basketball season showed a positive trend.
“That’s been the theme of the whole year: it was a transition to a new coaching style and teaching style,” Geffert said. “They’ll be more experienced than other teams next year because of all the young players who got a ton of opportunities to play. And the learning curve will be quicker because the girls know the system. I’m excited to watch them grow. I think they’ll be hard to beat in years to come.”