Savannah Smith shoots inside the paint during the overtime win. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
The Chargers defeated Tiffin University 76-73 in overtime behind junior forward Savannah Smith’s 25 points Feb. 5, and defeated Ohio Dominican University 63-52 led by senior guard Emma Ruhlman’s second double-double of the season Feb. 7.
Hillsdale improved to 12-8 overall, 8-6 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, and remains undefeated at home. The Chargers moved up to sixth in the conference standings.
“There’s something special about playing on our home court in front of all our people, and the girls take a lot of pride in that,” head coach Brianna Brennan said.
Against the Tiffin Dragons, Ruhlman contributed 8 points and set a season-high with 15 rebounds.
“Rebounding is my focus every game,” Ruhlman said. “You can’t control your shooting performance, but you can control your effort on the boards.”
Sophomore guard Sarah Aleknavicius added 11 points, including the game-tying basket with 12 seconds remaining in regulation, as well as seven rebounds and three blocks.
In overtime, the Chargers held the Dragons to 2-8 shooting from the floor. Hillsdale was 2-2 from three-point range and 7-8 from the free-throw line.
“An overtime win is huge,” Savannah Smith said. “It was our first overtime of the season, but it proves that we can stick it out no matter how long the game takes.”
Junior guard Annalise Pietrzyk added 15 points and six rebounds, and freshman point guard Maddie Smith contributed six assists.
Against the Panthers, Ruhlman matched her season-high of 15 rebounds and also scored 15 points.
“Emma’s effort and physicality on the boards right now is unmatched,” Brennan said. “It gives our team so much energy and second opportunities.”
Savannah Smith put up 15 points, her fourth game of at least 15 points in her last five games, and Pietrzyk added 5 points and eight rebounds.
“Savannah Smith had two incredible performances for us,” Brennan said. “She scored the ball with ease and couldn’t be stopped. She is a strong post player with a beautiful shot and used both this week in our victories.”
The Chargers held Ohio Dominican to 32% shooting from the floor.
“We played very good defense this week, and that’s something that we can always control and take with us on the road,” Ruhlman said.
Hillsdale will be back on the road to play Lake Erie College Feb. 12 and Ashland University Feb. 14.
“It’s going to be crucial that we carry this momentum on the road,” Brennan said. “We have to build off of it and fine-tune he areas we need to so we can be playing our best basketball come March.”
