The final regular season game in Saginaw Valley State University did not go the Chargers' way Thursday night.
The combination of C.J. Turnage and Garrett Hall were too much for Hillsdale, as the No. 2-ranked Cardinals pulled out a 74-70 win over the Chargers. SVSU is now 7-0, while Hillsdale sits at 4-3 on the season, 0-1 in the GLIAC.
In a well-played game at both ends of the floor, Hillsdale played a very smart game in the first half, taking a 36-31 lead. Hillsdale did an excellent job of playing with patience and spreading the ball around for high percentage shots. The Chargers shot 56 percent from the field in the first half, and played with calm in a loud, foreign environment.
But in the second half, SVSU went to Turnage, its top post player, who led the SVSU comeback. Turnage finished with 25 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the floor. His power and agility made him a tough cover for the Chargers throughout the game.
SVSU pulled ahead by eight late in the second half, but Hillsdale had one more run in it. A 3-pointer by senior forward Rhett Smith made the score 64-63 with two minutes to go. But the Chargers could get no closer, as the Cardinals also played smart down the stretch.
Hall finished with 18 points and made all four of his free throws in the game's final 10 seconds to prevent any possible comeback by the Chargers. Saginaw Valley State shot 66 percent from the field in the second half.
SVSU also made Hillsdale pay for the few mistakes it made. The Cardinals scored 19 points off 10 Hillsdale turnovers, holding a 10-point edge in that statistical category.
Junior Stedman Lowry led the Chargers with 16 points, going 6-for-10 from the field including four made 3-pointers. Sophomore Nate Neveau had 13 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds, while senior Nick Archer had 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale travels to Wayne State at 3 p.m. Saturday.