Junior Caleb Glaser shooting ball into hoop
Courtesy of Hillsdale College Athletic Department

The Hillsdale men’s basketball team defeated Thomas More University 54–51 on the road Jan. 10, moving the Chargers to a 6–9 season record after winning four games and losing six over Christmas break.

“We got a really good one against Thomas More,” assistant coach Jackson McLaughlin said. “It’s a very talented team, and they run a lot of good things as a program and as a staff, and I think it’s hard to prepare for them. So our guys did a good job of containing the basketball, chasing shooters off the line, and then being able to close that one out late game; another late, heroic kind of game.”

Reflecting on the time spent training over winter break, junior CJ Yarian said the games and dedicated time to focus on just their sport has helped the team approach competition with a different mindset. 

“Over break, we improved our consistency and confidence,” Yarian said. “With more time to focus on basketball, our communication, defense, and ball movement really took a step forward. Tough losses and rough stretches were challenging, but we handled them well by staying together and communicating. We focused on learning from those moments and moving forward as a team.”

The Chargers opened their Great Midwest Athletic Conference competitions with a 63–57 loss Dec. 4 against Malone University, but rallied and defeated G-MAC competitor Lake Erie College 96–88 in double overtime. 

Freshman Braylon Morris scored 25 points in the second half and the two overtime periods to help the Chargers get back in the game against Lake Erie. With help from junior Garrett Bolte, Hillsdale brought the score to a tie and forced overtime. Senior Cole McWhinnie and Yarian dominated the second overtime and pulled away from the Storm to take the win.  

“We got to play a very good Lake Erie team that we knew was going to be a great challenge for our guys,” McLaughlin said. “They play a very unique brand of basketball where they’re going to run and jump press 94 feet, which is hard to prepare for, so I’m really proud of our guys for being able to overcome that physicality and adversity.”

After an 87–73 loss against G-MAC rival Northwood University, the Chargers played three games before breaking for Christmas. Hillsdale couldn’t hold its lead against Quincy University and lost 63–61 Dec. 16, but came back the next day and defeated Truman State University 88–84 Dec. 17. 

Freshmen Paxton Giertz and Morris scored 30 of the 88 winning points against Truman State, but the key to the team’s success was the 23 assists on 32 made shots during the game, a season high against NCAA Division II competition. 

“This is a very senior and junior dominated league, but Giertz and Morris have been able to come in right away and make an impact,” McLaughlin said. “Braylon has been able to come in and have some very big offensive performances for us. Paxton, playing backup point guard for us, can handle the basketball and run our offense. The point guard position is probably the hardest to play in college basketball, and then on top of that, I think it’s incredibly more challenging to do it here, so there’s a lot of pressure on him but they’ve both done a great job already.”

The Chargers headed into Christmas on the heels of a 79–66 loss against McKendree University, but came back into the new year with a redemption 70–51 win against Malone University at home Jan. 3.

After missing the final game before Christmas due to injury, senior and captain Ashton Janowski led the Chargers scoring against Malone with 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists. 

“There were games where our defense led to easy transition points and our offense was very unselfish,” Yarian said. “Those moments showed how good we can be when we’re connected.”

After a 76–64 loss at home against Walsh University, the Chargers traveled to Kentucky and faced an 88–81 loss against Kentucky Wesleyan College. Hillsdale ended its trip with a 54–51 win against Thomas More.

The Chargers will next face Cedarville University at home Jan. 15 for a chance to defeat another G-MAC opponent.