The Bennett Gymnasium on the campus of Northwood University remained a house of horrors and misery for the Charger men's basketball team Thursday night.
Hillsdale has struggled inside the home arena of the Timberwolves over the years, and the latest result was no different, as Northwood pulled ahead late and hung on for a 60-55 win over the Chargers in the GLIAC opener for both teams. The Chargers are now 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference, while Northwood improves to 5-2, 1-0.
Hillsdale had a tough time finding a consistent offensive rhythm all night long, shooting just 36 percent from the field. Northwood did an excellent job protecting the rim, outrebounding the Chargers 39-30, while blocking eight shots in the game, compared to none for Hillsdale.
Despite all that, Hillsdale led a majority of the game. The Timberwolves didn't take their first lead until five minutes remained in the second half, breaking what was the fifth tie score of the half, 48-46. But from there, Northwood never trailed again, scrapping out enough stops on defense to keep the Chargers from regaining the lead down the stretch.
Playing all but two minutes, senior forward Tim Dezelski led the Chargers with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the contest. Sophomore forward Kyle Cooper was the only other player to crack double figures with 10 for Hillsdale.
The Chargers will seek their first GLIAC win at 3 p.m. Saturday when they battle Lake Superior State University at Sault Ste. Marie.