Sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius maneuvers around her opponent
Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
The Hillsdale women’s basketball team opened its season with two wins at home, defeating the University of Illinois-Springfield 77–61 Nov. 14 and Purdue University Northwest 77–59 Nov. 15. The Chargers lost a third game 79–59 away against Wayne State University Nov. 19.
“Starting at home allowed us to play in front of our families, and they gave us that extra sixth man on the court,” sophomore forward Sarah Aleknavicius said.
The team shot 51% from the floor, 45% from 3-point range, and nearly 89% from the free throw line on Friday night.
“Offesively this team’s ceiling is so high,” head coach Brianna Brennan said. “The way we’re meshing so early on with such a young lineup is special.”
Pietrzyk led all scorers with 19 points. She also had six assists and contributed a team-high six rebounds.
“Annalise’s performances were absolutely incredible,” Brennan said. “She’s our leading scorer, but she also shared the ball well.”
Pietrzyk was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week for leading the Chargers in scoring for the weekend.
“It’s exciting to get this accolade early on, but I couldn’t do it without the team and coaches around me,” Pietrzyk said.
Aleknavicius and junior forward Savannah Smith each added 13 points, and sophomore center Ellie Bruce scored 12 points for the Chargers.
The Chargers continued shooting well from 3-point range on Saturday night. The team made 13 3-pointers and shot the ball at 52% from beyond the arc.
After a back-and-forth first half Hillsdale led Purdue Northwest 38–34 at halftime. The Chargers outscored the Pride 23–8 in the third quarter to pull away.
“We knew we weren’t playing our best basketball in the first half, and we were keeping them in it a little too much,” Aleknavicius said. “So we had to come out in the second half and execute our stuff.”
Bruce and Pietrzyk led the Chargers in scoring with 17 apiece. Senior guard Emma Ruhlman added 11 points, sophomore guard Emilia Sularski added nine points, and Aleknavicius and Smith contributed eight points each.
Pietrzyk led the team with five assists, and Ruhlman added four assists. The Chargers combined to have 21 assists on 29 made baskets.
“The way we’re seeing the floor, moving the ball, finding the open person, and just playing selfless basketball is what’s going to set us apart,” Brennan said.
During their game away at Wayne State University Nov. 19, Hillsdale lost 79–59. Pietrzyk led with 16 points during the game.
The Chargers next play at Lake Superior State University Nov. 22 and at Ferris State University Nov. 26.
“We’re excited for the challenge to take what we’ve been working on on the road, and keep growing and getting better each game,” Brennan said.
The Chargers will return home to begin GMAC play on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. against Lake Erie College.
