In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, the Hillsdale College Chargers kept Ohio Valley University winless this season in a 79-61 victory last Thursday.
The Fighting Scots (0-11, 0-15) haven’t won a conference game since the 2015-2016 season.
“As a coach you’re always kind of scared you don’t want to be the one [to lose to a winless team],” head coach Matt Fritsche said. “But you worry about yourselves. You focus on the things that you can do and you worry less on the specifics of the scout.”
Freshman guard Jaycie Burger became the first Hillsdale freshman in 15 years to record at least five points, five assists, and five rebounds in a single game. She finished with six, five, and six, respectively.
“It means a lot. I’m glad that I could get that done,” Burger said of her historic performance. “I was glad that I was able to get those rebounds especially. It just proves to me that I can keep improving and keep contributing.”
Head coach Matt Fritsche said he’s been impressed by Burger’s growth this season. The true freshman is often the first player off the bench for the Chargers and was on the floor for more than half the game against Ohio Valley.
“I’m happy with this season so far,” Burger said. “I just try to take it one game at a time, not be too hard on myself, and try to focus on ways I can contribute. That’s just what my mindset has been: to contribute positively.”
The Chargers (10-7, 8-5 G-MAC) led by 23 at halftime and 33 near the end of the third quarter before they played almost exclusively with reserves in the final quarter.
Burger credited Hillsdale’s defense and rebounding for the quick start.
“As soon as our defense and rebounding started picking up, the lead just kept building,” Burger said. “It was more scout-centered, but once we locked in on the scout, our defense led to our offense.”
The scout-centered approach Burger mentioned is a defensive strategy the team uses to prepare for individual opponents.
“The coaches give us a packet before each game with the opponent’s players, their stats, and their tendencies with what they’re good at listed beneath it,” Burger said. “We use the scout to determine how we play defense.”
On offense, senior center Allie Dittmer led the way with 20 points, shooting 75 percent from the floor.
“We really focused on our motion,” Dittmer said. “We really wanted to keep the ball moving and not have stagnant plays. That was one thing we did pretty well. We set a lot of pick and rolls and that helped get the ball inside.”
Sophomore center Julia Wacker got 16 minutes behind Dittmer thanks in part to the big lead. She said playing behind Dittmer and learning from her is something she relishes.
“Dittmer leads by example,” Wacker said. “Just seeing how calm she is in games and how when something needs to be done she just buckles down and does it. I think that’s a really good example to follow.”
Hillsdale shot 42 percent as a team, despite making only four of 21 three-pointers.
Senior guard Maddy Reed added 12 points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. The Chargers shot 84 percent from the charity stripe, improving their rate this season to 74 percent.
“She’s really an unselfish player,” Fritsche said of Reed. “She’s willing to do whatever the team needs, which is special. She plays with a lot of energy and effort. She makes all those gritty plays. She’s put a lot of time in and a lot of work in to where she’s become a really great shooter as well. If we need a rebound, if we need a stop, she does all those things well.”
Every player on the Chargers’ roster scored in the victory.
“We put a big focus on ourselves,” Dittmer said. “On the offensive end, we continuously kept the ball moving, and that got the ball in everybody’s hands. It was a team effort.”
The Chargers grabbed offensive rebounds, getting second chances at an impressive rate, coming away with boards on 43 percent of their missed shots. Rebounding continues to be a strength for Hillsdale this season. The team is nationally ranked in rebounding among NCAA Division II schools.
The Chargers out-rebound opponents by an average of 10.5 boards per game, the fifth-best margin in the country.
“It’s funny because we don’t work on rebounding at all during practice,” Wacker said. “It’s something that’s just ingrained in our team. It’s definitely a source of pride to say we’ve out-hustled other teams.”
Wacker led the Chargers with nine rebounds against Ohio Valley, and added five points, all from the free-throw line.
“I love free throws,” Wacker said. “After practice I’ll usually just grab a ball and make sure I make nine of ten. I have that goal in my head, and I go up to the line and that’s what I’m thinking: nine for ten.”
The Chargers will have had an entire week free from games before their next contest against Kentucky Wesleyan University.
After beginning the season 5-5, Hillsdale has won five of its last seven games.
“We started off a little slower than we wanted, but we’ve been slowly building up,” Burger said. “Coach Fritsche tells us we’re an inch away from being at our potential. We just have little moments throughout games that we can fix, just like any team. But we’re getting there.”
The team seems to be gradually hitting a stride, but the players agree that while the team hasn’t quite peaked yet, its trajectory toward the G-MAC tournament at the end of the season is a good one.
“There’s always room to improve,” Dittmer said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re going to continue to get better. There’s plenty of room to keep growing and advancing.”
The Chargers host Kentucky Wesleyan (11-6, 7-6) this Thursday at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. Hillsdale defeated the Panthers on Dec. 2, 64-56. Junior forward Brittany Gray, who is battling an ankle injury, will not be in the lineup this week. Gray is tied for second on the team with 13.6 points per game this season. Fritsche said he is prepared to mix up the game plan as a result.
“We’re going to play a little deeper into our bench this time out of necessity,” Fritsche said. “We’re prepared to expand our rotation a little bit as well as be a little bit different defensively. We may not try to transition as hard knowing we might not be as deep as we have been.”
Tip off on Thursday is at 5:30 p.m.
