The Hillsdale College men's basketball team got to 4-0 on the 2022-23 season with a dominant defensive performance on the road on Sunday.
The Chargers held host Saginaw Valley State to just 36% shooting from the floor and a 4 for 20 mark from 3-point range in a 71-55 victory. If not for the Cardinals going 13 of 16 from the foul line, an 81.3% clip, Hillsdale would have held SVSU to under 50 points in the contest.
When the Chargers had the ball, Hillsdale broke down SVSU with a balanced attack, including four different players in double figures. Leading the way was a breakout night for sophomore Charles Woodhams, who entered Sunday's contest with just 32 career points in 40 games but had more than half that total in just 14 minutes against the Cardinals. Woodhams knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with a team-leading 17 points for the Chargers. The sophomore scored seven points in three possessions in his first appearance midway through the first half, then helped the Chargers put the game away in the second half with 10 more points as part of 10-4 run that helped the Chargers push an 11-point lead to 17.
Hillsdale also got solid games from its two senior wins, as Kyle Goessler and Jack Gohlke each chipped in 10 points, with Goessler adding six rebounds and four assists, and Gohlke chipping in four rebounds and four assists. Senior Peter Kalthoff also chipped in 10 points for the Chargers, while sophomore Joe Reuter added eight points, four rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Senior point guard Cole Nau had another efficient game directing the Chargers' attacking, finishing with six points, six rebounds and four assists while also committing zero turnovers on the night. As a team, the Chargers committed just seven in the contest, limiting fast-break opportunities for Saginaw Valley State and forcing the Cardinals to go against Hillsdale's set defense in the half-court on possession after possession. The Chargers also shared the ball well, assisting on 21 of their 26 made baskets, and took advantage of Saginaw Valley State's mistakes with 15 points off of turnovers in the win.
At 4-0 overall, Hillsdale is off to its best start since the 2015-16 season, and will look to stay focused and continue to improve as tougher challenges loom on the horizon. The Chargers travel to another GLIAC opponent, Davenport, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for their next contest, before returning home to play Northern Michigan on Sunday, November 20 at 1 p.m.
Photo by McKenna Eichholz