It was a frustrating fourth quarter for the Charger women's basketball team, who let one slip away in the state of Ohio Thursday night.
Hillsdale led by five through three quarters, but fell to Walsh University 71-68 in a key GLIAC South Division battle. The loss drops the Chargers to 12-12 overall and 6-11 in the GLIAC, while Walsh improves to 8-8 in the conference.
Hillsdale outscored Walsh 34-27 in the middle two quarters, and led by as many as eight early in the fourth quarter. The Chargers shot the ball extremely well in the first half, going 17-for-28 from the floor, and 68 percent on two-point attempts.
But the 3-point shot ended up being a big factor in this one. Hillsdale was 1-for-10 as a team from 3-point territory, while Walsh shot 6-for-23 from that area of the court. The Cavs outscored the Chargers 18-3 on 3-point baskets in a game decided by three.
Although the turnover totals were virtually identical (18-17), the Cavs made the Chargers pay for their mistakes, piling up 26 points off turnovers. Hillsdale had 17 points off Walsh's 18 turnovers.
The loss spoiled a terrific game from senior guard Morgan Blair. Playing with confidence from the start, Blair scored a season-high 19 points, just one off her career-high. She scored seven of the team's first 11 points, setting a strong tone for her night. She also had three rebounds and four steals for Hillsdale.
Sophomore guard Allie Dewire scored 12 of her 18 points in the first half, and had nine rebounds and four assists. Junior Allie Dittmer added 11 points and eight boards.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale plays at Tiffin at 1 p.m. Saturday