The Charger women's basketball team played with heart and toughness throughout its final home game of the 2015-16 season Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to pick up a win.
A 13-1 run by Grand Valley State University early in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in a 71-65 Laker victory before the largest crowd of the season at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. Hillsdale is 10-15 overall and 7-14 in the GLIAC heading into its season finale next week.
Hillsdale closed out the second quarter on a 15-7 run to take a one-point lead at intermission, 31-30. Despite some small runs by the Lakers, the Chargers remained within range throughout the third, and early into the fourth quarter.
Freshman Makenna Ott, who has been scoring more and more in recent weeks, hit back-to-back 3-point shots to put the Chargers on top 55-54 with 7:54 left in the game. But GVSU put that late run together that put the Chargers away for good.
Ott scored a career-high 23 points in a game last week and nearly duplicated the effort Saturday, leading the team with 21 points, going 5-for-6 from 3-point land. She also blocked 2 shots and had 4 rebounds, as she built her case for one of the GLIAC's best emerging young players.
Junior guard Morgan Blair returned from illness to score an impressive 11 points in 21 minutes on the floor, making three 3-point shots. Senior Madison Berry, playing in front of the home fans for the final time, added 9 points and 2 assists.
Kayla Dawson had a terrific game for the Lakers with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals to lead her team.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale hits the road for the regular season finale at SVSU at 8 p.m. Thursday.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kadie Lowery