The Charger men's basketball team edged the University of Wisconsin Parkside Rangers in a defensive battle, 53-44 Tuesday night at the Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena.
It was the first home win of the season for Hillsdale, now 3-1 this year.
After leading 30-16 at the half, the Chargers only scored nine points in the first 12 minutes of the second half. The Rangers on the other hand managed 21 points to close the gap, trailing Hillsdale 38-37.
With 7:37 left to go in the game, senior guard Harrison Niego stepped up to make an important three-pointer. After a Hillsdale timeout, sophomore forward Davis Larson attacked the basket on back-to-back plays to put the Chargers ahead 45-39.
Junior guard Dylan Lowry showed tenacity as the minutes wound down. After a Hillsdale turnover, he sprinted down the court and got the steal. After attacking the basket and missing the shot, got his own rebound and scored, advancing the Charger lead to 47-40 with 5:19 to go.
The Chargers relied heavily on their defense in the last six minutes of the game. They didn't allow a Parkside basket until 1:15 remained and the game was well in hand.
With 28 second left on the clock, the Chargers led 51-44. Senior guard Nate Neveau sealed the Hillsdale victory with a pair of free throws.
Lowry led the Chargers in scoring with 15 points and also added five rebounds. Larson contributed 12 more points and led with six rebounds and three steals. Neveau had seven points tonight and led in assists with four.
PHOTO: MaryKate Drews
WORDS: Calli Townsend