Winning games with good, tough team defense isn't normally the stuff of highlight reels. Then again, style points don't count in the GLIAC standings.
Yielding just seven made field goals and 18 points in the second half, the Hillsdale College men's basketball team was victorious in its first home game of 2015, 64-48 over visiting Wayne State University Thursday night.
The Chargers, winners of three in a row, are now 8-3 overall and 6-1 in the GLIAC. This was also Hillsdale's third straight win over the Warriors.
Particularly in the first half, the home rims were very unkind to the Chargers. The team was getting the shots it wanted - within the flow of the offense and close to the basket - but many layups cruelly popped out of the basket early on for Hillsdale. Wayne State took a 20-10 lead early in the first half, as the frustrated Chargers were searching for a way around the proverbial lid on the rim.
A corner 3-point shot from guard Garrett Jones seemed to bring the Charger offense to life midway through the first half. His shot was part of a 20-8 Hillsdale run that erased the early 10-point deficit.
Hillsdale shot 41.7 percent from the floor, but made up for that by outscoring the Warriors by 10 from the free throw line while holding the opposition to 33.9 percent shooting for the game.
The Chargers outscored Wayne State 31-18 in the second half and held WSU to 7-for-23 from the field in the final 20 minutes. Hillsdale's bench came through with a solid, balanced effort, scoring 27 points in the game.
That bench effort was key, since junior Kyle Cooper had a tough time finding the usual range on his shot. He was 4-for-15 from the field and finished with a team-high 15 points. Cooper got the looks he normally likes, but as happens in this imperfect game, they tended to roll out more often than not.
Freshman Stedman Lowry scored 11, as every player who played scored at least 1 point for Hillsdale. Junior point guard Zach Miller dished out 8 assists, while Jason Pretzer added 8 points and 5 rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.