For a while it appeared another incredible comeback against an Upper Peninsula team was unfolding Thursday night in Houghton.
But it wasn't to be.
Trailing by as many as 18 points at one stage, the Hillsdale College men's basketball team tied the game twice, but could never get over the hump, losing to Michigan Tech University 74-69 at the SDC Gymnasium.
The Chargers are now 11-4 overall and 7-4 in the GLIAC.
Last Saturday, Hillsdale came back from a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat Lake Superior State at home. In this game, Michigan Tech set a season-high for 3-pointers made with 13, draining seven of its first 10, to build a 14-point halftime lead.
That lead quickly grew to 18 early in the second half when Hillsdale suddenly found its shooting touch. Sophomore guard Ryan Badowski went wild, making four 3-point shots on five possessions, scoring 12 of his 18 points, in that amazing stretch to erase his team's huge deficit.
The last tie in the game came at the 5:35 mark, when Badowski made a free throw, knotting the game at 56. But Tech put together an all-important sequence in a game like this; score, stop then another score, with – of course – a 3-pointer thrown in for good measure, building a five-point lead.
A layup by senior center Jason Pretzer made it a one-point game, 68-67, with 1:24 to play, but Hillsdale never could wrestle the lead from the home team.
Sophomore Stedman Lowry led the Chargers with 20 points, while senior Kyle Cooper was held to just eight field goal attempts and 14 points.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale heads to Marquette to battle Northern Michigan University at 3:00 Saturday.
PHOTO CREDIT: Michigan Tech University athletics