In the longest, highest-scoring game in NCAA Division II women’s basketball this season, Hillsdale College defeated Walsh University 106-105.
With 22 ties and 24 lead changes, the game was a battle from the beginning.
At the end of regulation, Hillsdale was ahead 66-64 until Walsh tied it up with 28 seconds left.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh great, here we go,’” sophomore Madison Berry said.
However, the Chargers would not be taken down so easily.
“I felt like we lost the game 25 times but won it 26 times,” assistant coach Jon Mock said.
In the third of four overtimes, Walsh scored a 3-pointer to take a 98-95 lead with eight seconds left.
The Chargers got the ball to junior Kadie Lowery, who scored her own 3-point shot to tie the game with two seconds left, sending the Chargers into overtime number four.
“They refused to lose the game,” Mock said.
Hillsdale played much of the fourth overtime with a new lineup due to three starting players – senior Angela Bisaro, Berry, and redshirt sophomore Ashlyn Landherr – fouling out.
Junior Megan Fogt, who earned her fourth GLIAC South Player of the Week award, played a crucial role in the game, especially during the fourth overtime, when she made one jump shot and four of her five free throws, including the final free throw with one second left, to end the game.
“Honestly I’m pretty sure I was solely running on adrenaline through all of the overtimes,” Fogt said in an email. “As I’m sure many of the other girls on the team were, too.”
Fogt played 58 minutes of the 60-minute game. She had a career-high 41 points, and 24 rebounds, the first 40-20 game in school history.
“I’m so proud of how we came together as a team and wouldn’t quit,” Fogt said.
Fogt and Berry were the only Chargers to shoot free throws, going 28-32 combined. Berry also scored 32 points, a career-high.
“It was the craziest game I’ve ever been a part of,” Mock said. “When you play four overtimes, you don’t really forget. Especially when you come out on the winning side.”
Hillsdale went into the game against Walsh after an important win against Malone University on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Hillsdale came out strong against the GLIAC South Division leaders, winning 85-69.
While Malone was able to tie Hillsdale twice during the game, they never were able to take the lead.
“It was one of our best team performances,” Mock said.
Hillsdale had four players – sophomore Kelsey Cromer, Landherr, Berry, and Lowery – make at least two 3-pointers.
As a team, Hillsdale was 60 percent on 3-pointers and 80 percent on free throws.
Hillsdale continued its winning streak on Monday night with its first win at the University of Findlay since 2009.
Hillsdale started out the game well, Mock said, but fell into a lull partway into the first half, and didn’t come out of it until the last eight or nine minutes in the game.
“We were all super tired and sore,” Berry said, “but since we won we still had that energy and fire.”
Junior Chelsea Farrell had a career-high 12 points and seven rebounds.
“Chelsea Farrell really kind of saved us,” Mock said. “During a second half timeout, the team was looking glossy-eyed,” Mock said.
He explained that after the timeout, Farrell went into the game and turned the team’s energy around after diving for a ball on the ground.
Soon after, Cromer and Landherr scored four 3-pointers in a row with nine minutes left in the game to put Hillsdale back in the lead and to ultimately win.
“Once again, I am so proud of how we came together, gritted our teeth, and got another great win,” Fogt said. “Four in a row feels great!”
This weekend Hillsdale hopes to continue it’s four-game winning streak against Tiffin University on Thursday, Feb. 6, and against Ohio Dominican University on Saturday, Feb. 8.
The team has been resting from their busy weekend of games and working on defense, Berry said.
“We have done a poor job in turnovers the last few games,” Mock said. “Take care of that and not too many teams will be excited to play us.”