First-year Charger women's basketball coach Todd Mitmesser has wanted his team to play at a frantic pace. But on Saturday, the Chargers approached their work with calm and poise, and it paid off in a satisfying win.
Hillsdale executed at a high level on both ends of the floor in an 82-57 win over Lake Superior State University at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. The win gives the Chargers an 8-6 overall record and evens their conference ledger at 5-5.
The confidence Hillsdale played with was evident from the first possession, when the team took a lead it would never lose on a 3-point swish by senior Kayla Geffert, just 16 seconds into the contest. The Chargers did a terrific job of passing to the open player, and simply making shots. The team rushed shots on very few occasions and was able to work into the openings the Laker defense was giving it.
The Chargers shot 47 percent from the floor for the game and made 11 3-point baskets on offense, coming from five different players. Six different players contributed 8 or more points and the team had 18 assists on 29 made field goals, illustrating balance, unselfishness and intelligent play on that end of the floor.
Defensively, the Chargers scooped up 12 steals on Lake Superior State's 18 turnovers, a terrific ratio. Hillsdale held LSSU to 19 percent 3-point shooting, and limited the visitors to just nine made field goals in the first half. Hillsdale also rediscovered its dominance on the boards, outrebounding the Lakers 40-30, and 15-9 on the offensive glass.
The team's full freshman class showed their talents in this one, and played a big part in the victory. Forward Makenna Ott led the team with 17 points, second-most she's had in a game this season. She drained three 3-point baskets and had 5 rebounds, all in just 18 minutes.
Brittany Gray helped set the tone for the game with a first-quarter coast-to-coast drive that resulted in a layup. She had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal in 13 minutes in a starting role.
Guard Hunter Stevens made her long-awaited collegiate debut, and played well beyond her experience level. She scored 8 points and had 2 steals in 12 minutes.
Senior Madison Berry added 12 points to the victory, while Geffert scored 9, and sophomore center Allie Dittmer scored 8. Senior Sarah Theut led the team with 6 rebounds, and junior Morgan Blair scored 7.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: This was Hillsdale's seventh-straight win over Lake Superior State…The Charger lead was double figures for the last 26 minutes of the game…Hillsdale was 10-for-11 from the free throw line in the second half, and Stevens led the team with four free throw attempts, further evidence of the team's offensive balance…Hillsdale is 6-0 when scoring 70 or more points in a game this season.
UP NEXT: The Chargers head to the Upper Peninsula next week, and the trip starts with a game at Michigan Tech at 5:30 Thursday.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kadie Lowery