Junior Garrett Bolte goes up for a layup during a home game against Andrews University. Courtesy: Ashley Van Hoose
The Hillsdale men’s basketball team secured a win at home the week before Thanksgiving, defeating Ohio Christian University 74–72 Nov. 22. The Chargers lost a second game 59–71 on the road to University of Indianapolis the day before Thanksgiving, making their record 2–3.
“We knew it was a punch in the mouth after dropping the first two games, especially the one at home,” junior center CJ Yarian said. “It made us realize that we needed to band together and start turning things around, focusing on attention to detail to become sharp and crisp.”
The Chargers won a close battle with Ohio Christian, clinched by a last-second shot by senior captain guard Ashton Janowski.
“I was proud of our team for not caving when things got difficult and rising to the challenge with the mindset that we were going to do whatever it took to win,” Janowski said.
The lead changed 10 times in the first half, but the Chargers managed to secure a four-point lead by the half, thanks to senior captain guard Cole McWinnie, who drew a foul off a 3-pointer, sank all his free throws, and made a final, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
With only 57 seconds remaining, Ohio Christian tied the game 72–72. With 12 seconds remaining, the Chargers got possession for a final chance to end the game. Janowski’s jumper with one second remaining secured the well-fought win for the Chargers.
The team shot well from the floor, making 10 out of 11 free throws. Janowski led the team in points, scoring 18, followed by Yarian with 13.
The Chargers’ victories were exciting and encouraging, according to Janowski.
“We were definitely in high spirits after the game, and most importantly, we had a belief amongst ourselves that we can, in fact, win close games if we dig in and don’t back down from challenges,” Janowski said.
The Chargers fell to Indianapolis Nov. 26 in a difficult match on the road.
“We played really well for about 12 minutes of the first half, but then we hit a wall offensively,” Bradley said. “We weren’t able to capitalize on and take advantage of the opportunities we had and unfortunately, dug ourselves into a hole. Although we did a great job of battling back in the second half, we just weren’t able to pull it out.”
The Chargers were able to return home after their game Wednesday and spend Thanksgiving with their families.
“Getting the opportunity to go home is something which we are all super grateful for, as many teams in the country do not have that opportunity,” Stonebraker said.
The Chargers face Malone University in Ohio Dec. 4 and Lake Erie College at home Dec. 6. These games will kick off conference play for the Chargers.
“It’s a new season when you start conference play,” Bradley said. “With conference games, everything gets a little more heightened, and you have to be sharper, more disciplined, and tougher. Now everyone is doing everything in their power to execute and do things at a high level, so we are looking forward to starting off with a great opportunity against a great Malone team on the road this Thursday.”
