A game-ending 11-0 run sent the Hillsdale College women's basketball team into the three-week Christmas Break with a victory.
After trailing for the first time 53-52 to the host lake Erie College Storm, the Chargers broke through with a resounding run to complete a 63-53 win Saturday afternoon in Painesville, Ohio, snapping a two-game losing streak.
Hillsdale is now 5-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
The Chargers led throughout the game until a 17-7 run by Lake Erie, extending from the end of the third quarter into the beginning of the fourth quarter, allowed it to take a one-point lead with 3:46 to play. But that would be the final points the Storm would score in the game, as the Chargers tightened things up defensively while working for high-percentage shots on the offensive end.
After a made free throw by senior Sarah Theut, freshman Makenna Ott put in a layup off a nice feed from junior Becca Scherting, allowing the Chargers to regain the lead, 55-53.
Junior Morgan Blair then added to her best game of the season with a three-point play, upping the lead to five. Ott nailed a 3-pointer two possessions later to remove all doubt from the final score.
Blair scored a season-high 15 points while logging a season-best 25 minutes on the court. She was able to score her points in bunches, playing a valuable role in helping to keep momentum on Hillsdale's side during stretches in both halves.
Sophomore guard Maddy Reed helped get the team off to a good start, scoring 10 of her career-high 18 points in the first quarter. Reed was aggressive going to the basket, and was rewarded with eight free throw attempts, making six. Her 18 was tied for a team season-high in points for an individual player, while her team-leading 11 rebounds were also a career-high.
Ott added 10 and 5 boards off the bench while freshman Brittany Gray scored 5 with 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Theut was particularly effective during her time on the court, leading all players with a plus-25 plus-minus rating.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Both teams struggled shooting the ball, with Hillsdale shooting 34 percent and Lake Erie 31 percent…The Chargers dominated the boards, 59-31, their biggest rebounding edge of the season…Hillsdale held Lake Erie to just five made field goals from two-point land in the second half.
UP NEXT: The Chargers are off for three weeks, through the Christmas and New Years holidays. The team will host Walsh University on Saturday, Jan. 2.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Drews