It was a resounding home debut for the 2016-17 Hillsdale College men's basketball team Saturday afternoon.
Thanks in part to some deadly shooting from junior guard Stedman Lowry, and a well-balanced offensive attack, Hillsdale picked up a key regional victory in an 89-70 win over the University of Indianapolis at the Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena.
Hillsdale is 3-0 on the season, while the Greyhounds fell to 1-3.
Lowry scored 20 first-half points, connecting on eight of his nine shots from the floor to help spring the Chargers out to a 43-28 lead at halftime. He would finish the game with 28, going 11-for-13 from the field and 6-for-7 from 3-point territory. His teammates did a terrific job of looking for him in the half-court offense, and Lowry expertly found space in the UIndy defense, even inside the 3-point arc.
But the Chargers showed they have more than one lethal weapon on this team. All five starters scored in double figures, with senior forward Rhett Smith scoring 15, followed by 14 each from junior Ryan Badowski and sophomore Nate Neveau. Senior Nick Archer added 10.
Hillsdale shot 53 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point land. The team played a high-paced, but smart game, only turning the ball over eight times against a Greyhound defense that was active and played full-court much of the game. Neveau did a terrific job dribbling through the defense, helping to get the Chargers into their offense. The Chargers had 22 assists on their 28 made field goals.
Hillsdale led by as many as 21 points in the second half, and had 14 points off turnovers and 12 fast break points.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale has another key regional game Tuesday, at Lewis Univesity.
PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Klopfer