Something about playing at Walsh University leads to a lot of points being scored when the Charger women's basketball team faces the Cavaliers in the state of Ohio.
Unfortunately, this meeting, went the home team's way.
Walsh was incredibly efficient offensively, and picked up a 96-89 win over Hillsdale Friday night in North Canton, Ohio. Hillsdale is 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the GLIAC, and will stay in Canton to play Malone University at 1:00 Sunday afternoon.
On Feb. 1, 2014, Hillsdale and Walsh played a four-overtime classic that saw the Chargers pull out a 106-105 win in the highest scoring game in school history. Friday night's point total of 185 wasn't far off that mark, and Hillsdale's 89 were the second-most it has scored in a game this season. But against the hot-shooting Cavaliers, it wasn't enough.
Walsh shot 48 percent from the field (27/56), 48 percent from 3-point land (10/21) and most impressive of all, 32-for-35 from the free throw line, a 91.4 percent clip. Several of those free throw attempts came in the final 90 seconds, when Hillsdale intentionally fouled, trying to make up a late deficit. But to Walsh's credit, it made all the free throws it needed to, both early and late in the game.
Walsh's Kelsey Funderburgh had a big ballgame, leading all scorers with 32 points. She made all seven of her free throws and went 5-for-9 from the 3-point line.
Several Chargers also recorded season-highs in scoring. Kayla Geffert hit a career-high 5 3-point field goals and finished with a team-high 19. Senior guard Brooke Borowski scored 15, while sophomore guard Morgan Blair broke into double figures for the first time as a Charger, getting 10.
Senior forward Megan Fogt set a new season-high with 15 rebounds to go along with her 12 points.