The Hillsdale College Chargers wrapped up their non-conference portion of their season with three tough road losses between Nov. 22 and 26. The Chargers enter G-MAC play 2-5 against non-conference opponents. The Chargers were picked to finish fifth in the conference according to a preseason coaches poll.
Against what could be their toughest opponent of the entire season, the Chargers fell to No. 3 Grand Valley State University on Friday, Nov. 22, 74-25. After getting out to an early 9-2 lead and trailing only 18-13 after the first 10 minutes, the Chargers were outscored 56-12 in the final three quarters.
Hillsdale shot just 17% (9 for 53) from the field in the loss, and 13% (3 for 23) from beyond the three-point arc. Grand Valley outrebounded the Chargers, 49-27, and caused 20 Hillsdale turnovers.
The Chargers nearly bounced back on Sunday, Nov. 24 against Davenport University, but two last-second free throws gave the Panthers the edge, and they squeaked out a 77-75 win. The Chargers were trailing by as many as six in the fourth quarter before tying the game at 75 with four seconds left in the game.
Freshman forward Sydney Mills, who came off the bench for 25 minutes, made the game-tying layup, and recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds total, both career-highs. Seven of her rebounds came off the offensive glass.
Sophomore guard Lauren Daffenberg scored 18 points in the loss, and junior guard Jaycie Burger added 16. They also combined for six of the team’s eight three-pointers.
Senior guard Sydney Anderson scored 10 points, and senior center Julia Wacker scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Chargers continued their long road trip on Tuesday, Nov. 26, when they traveled to Southern Indiana University. Hillsdale again struggled offensively, and fell 63-41.
The Chargers shot just 24% (12 for 51) from field goal range, and turned the ball over 22 times.
Mills was again a bright spot in a sluggish offensive attack, scoring 11 points while shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from field goal range and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Hillsdale now turns to its conference portion of the schedule. First, the Chargers travel to West Virginia to play Alderson Broaddus University tonight at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Chargers play Ohio Valley University at 1 p.m.
The Chargers return home for the first time in a month on Dec. 14 when they host the University of Findlay. After hosting the Oilers, the Chargers will play two more non-conference games before Christmas, and will then have a gap in their schedule until the new year.