There was no aspect of Thursday night's basketball game the Hillsdale College women's basketball team did not excel in.
Playing with poise, patience and some deadly shooting, the Chargers continued their recent surge with an impressive 85-69 win over the GLIAC South Division-leading Malone University Pioneers at home. Hillsdale, winners of four of its past six games, improved to 7-10 overall and 6-7 in the GLIAC, while Malone dropped to 13-6 with the result.
Hillsdale is embarking on its busiest stretch of the season, traveling to Walsh Saturday afternoon before heading to conference rival Findlay Monday night.
Pick a category, the Chargers were excellent against Malone. You want 3-point shooting? The team was 9-for-15 from beyond the arc, with four different players making at least two each. Rebounding? Hillsdale outrebounded the Pioneers 41-32 and were plus-12 on the defensive boards. Ball distribution? The team accumulated 23 assists on 32 made field goals, a great percentage at any level of basketball.
Leading the way for the Chargers was junior forward Megan Fogt, who had another standout performance in what is becoming one of the most special seasons ever turned in by a Hillsdale College women's basketball player. She was nearly perfect, going 11-for-12 from the floor, finishing with a game-high 25 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Fogt was patient around the basket and made excellent cuts around screens. She was on the receiving end of some outstanding passes from the team's guards, who must be credited in part with Fogt's efficiency and accuracy. Players like Kadie Lowery, Madison Berry and Ashlyn Landherr played smart, heady basketball and slowly dissected the Malone defense throughout the game.
Landherr set a season-high with 7 assists, a total matched by Berry. A sophomore guard, Berry added 16 points, going 6-for-12 from the field and played aggressive defense throughout the game.
Sophomore guard Kelsey Cromer hit two 3-pointers and had 12 in the game, while Landherr and senior Angela Bisaro each scored 8.
Lowery turned in another terrific performance, coming off the bench to score 9 points on 3-for-5 shooting from downtown. Her long-distance 3-pointer near the end of the first half seemed to perfectly capture the momentum the Chargers built throughout the half. She also grabbed four rebounds and had 3 assists in the game.
Hillsdale limited Malone to 29 percent shooting from 3-point land (5-for-17), ultimately holding a 12-point advantage in that category in the game.