The seniors on the Hillsdale College women's basketball team had never enjoyed a win over Wayne State in their careers.
Until Thursday.
Tough inside play by senior Sarah Theut, and clutch shot-making by seniors Madison Berry and Kayla Geffert helped the Chargers break a four-game losing streak to the Warriors in a 78-75 win at the Matthaie Center in Detroit.
Hillsdale, winners of two straight, is now 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the GLIAC.
The two teams took turns making big runs on one another, but the last big one came from Hillsdale, who outscored the Warriors 26-17 in the fourth quarter, reversing a 12-0 run that put Wayne State on top late in the third.
The aforementioned seniors stepped forward to play big roles in the win. Berry drained a huge 3-point shot that gave the Chargers a seven-point lead with 19 seconds to go, 76-69.
Geffert converted a three-point play right before Berry's shot, but Geffert stepped up by making two key free throws with 10 seconds to go to help clinch the victory. The Warriors hit two 3-pointers in a nine-second span to make Hillsdale sweat out the finish.
Theut tied her career-high with 10 points to go along with 5 rebounds, and she provided her usual dose of heady defense and smart passing. Geffert led the team with 13 points in the victory while making all seven of her free throws in the win.
Hillsdale won this game at the free throw line, something that actually started on the defensive end. The Chargers played a very intelligent defensive game, committing just 10 fouls in the game. On the other end, the Chargers committed just 12 turnovers and were able to work the ball in to primary scoring positions. The Chargers attempted 17 more free throws in the game than the Warriors and enjoyed a 20-6 scoring advantage over WSU from the charity stripe.
Junior guard Morgan Blair (pictured) celebrated her birthday with a 10-point, 3-rebound effort. Freshman guard Allie Dewire added 12 points off the bench for the Chargers.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Hillsdale, the best rebounding team in the GLIAC, was plus-nine on the boards (47-38) over Wayne State…The Chargers had 15 offensive rebounds, with 5 of those coming from sophomore Allie Dittmer, who set a season-high with 12 rebounds…Berry also set a season-high with 4 assists.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale heads to Findlay for a matchup with the Oilers at 1 p.m. Saturday.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Drews