Junior Kendall McCormick had 13 points against Findlay. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department

After finishing with its best conference record in 15 years, the fifth-seed women’s basketball team fell to fourth-seed Thomas More University 50-41 Tuesday night in the G-MAC Quarterfinal.

The Chargers end the season with a record of 17-12 overall and 13-7 in the G-MAC after back-to-back wins at home last weekend, defeating the University of Findlay 71-63 on Feb. 29 and Ursuline College 85-56 on March 2. Hillsdale tied for fourth place in the G-MAC regular season standings, making their second tournament appearance since 2008-2009.

“Making the G-MAC tournament two years in a row shows how unified our team is,” junior guard Kendall McCormick said. “We are all so close on and off the court and can push each other on the court while also being best friends off. Our coaching staff this year also really pushed us out of our comfort zones to become leaders and great teammates.”

Senior forward Sydney Mills earned G-MAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her performance in the final games of the regular season. Mills led Hillsdale with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks against Findlay and recorded 19 points and eight rebounds against Ursuline. It’s her second time earning the award this season and the fifth time during her career. 

The Chargers outscored Thomas More 12-5 in the first quarter and traded the lead as late as 8:23 in the fourth quarter. They couldn’t get the edge as Thomas More scored on four consecutive possessions in the final minutes to pull away.

Hillsdale’s defense held Thomas More to a 31.4% shooting percentage and only allowed 4 three-point baskets out of the Saint’s 23 attempts.

“Our defensive energy was great the whole game,” McCormick said. “They made some tough shots, while we struggled to make shots on the offensive end.”

Junior point guard Lauren McDonald led the Chargers with nine points and eight rebounds in the contest. Mills added seven points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Junior guard Caitlin Splain chipped in seven points as well. 

Redshirt freshman forward Syndey Pnacek and freshman guard Annalise Pietrzyk hit buzzer-beater 3-pointers as Hillsdale avenged their previous loss in a dominant offensive performance against Findlay on Thursday.

The team was eager to beat Findlay after losing to the team five days prior, according to Splain.

“I think that we had an extra chip on our shoulder the second time we played them, and it really showed defensively,” Splain said. “Most of our changes were to step up on the defensive end and let that fuel our offense. The two buzzer beaters definitely gave us momentum during the game. It kept our energy at a high going into the breaks.”

Hillsdale took a nine-point lead into the half and then pulled away by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, answering every attempt by Findlay to make a comeback in the fourth.

Brennan said the team did well with shot selection and sharing the ball as the Chargers shot 50% from the floor and made eight 3-pointers in the contest. 

Mills just missed a double-double with a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds in addition to three assists and two blocks. McDonald added 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and McCormick also chipped in 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists. 

Hillsdale opened the Ursuline contest strong, scoring 51 points and making nine 3-pointers in the first half to take a 28-point lead into the break.

“From the tip, we had the confidence that we were going to win that game,” Splain said. “Coming off our Findlay game, our defense was in a good spot, and we used that to fuel our offense. Getting steals and stops defensively takes the life out of the other team and allows us to take advantage of that offensively.”

Despite a push from Ursuline in the second half, the Chargers continued to dominate offensively for the entire contest, shooting 56.7% from the field and 50% from deep with 12 made 3-pointers. 

“I was grateful they came and started the second half with a full head of steam,” Brennan said. “It gave us a chance to refocus and say ‘what can we control right now and how can we help us gain the momentum back?’”

On the other end of the floor, the Chargers held Ursuline to a 36.2% shooting percentage and only 21.4% from deep. 

Five players scored in double digits for the Chargers. 

Mills and freshman forward Savannah Smith tied to lead the team with 18 points and three made 3-pointers each, a career high for Smith. McDonald added 14 points, three assists, and four steals. Senior center Ashley Konkle and Splain each chipped in 10 points. 

“I think our team this year was the ultimate example of perseverance,” McCormick said. “We were faced with a lot of adversity including many injuries, new coaches, and adjusting from losing some key players last year. Everyone was ready to step up at all times and do whatever the team needed. Next year will definitely be an adjustment losing Sydney, but I am hopeful we can make another tournament run. We are a pretty young team, so I am excited to see all of the success we will have next year.”