Facing undefeated Walsh in a critical conference matchup on Friday night, the 25th-ranked Hillsdale College men's basketball team shined at both ends of the floor to secure a 75-62 home victory.
A balanced offensive effort helped Hillsdale pull away from the visiting Cavaliers, as great ball movement (20 of the Chargers' 26 field goals were assisted) created quality shots for all of Hillsdale's rotation throughout the night.
Senior Davis Larson led the the Chargers with a 17-point performance, including two 3-pointers. He was one of three double-digit scorers on the night for Hillsdale.
Sophomore Patrick Cartier had a strong night inside for the Chargers, finishing with a 16 point, 11 rebound double-double, the fifth double-double of his career and his second this season, and sophomore Kyle Goessler chipped in another big shooting night off the bench for Hillsdale, hitting four 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points, just one shy of his career high.
Three-point shooting was a huge part of the offensive story for Hillsdale on the night. The Chargers shot just 41.9 percent from the floor but 45 percent from 3-point range, including several big makes from beyond the arc in the second half to turn a 34-25 halftime lead into a double-digit edge.
The game was back-and-forth early on, but Hillsdale's defense set the tone, holding the Cavaliers to just 25 points at the half, and giving the Chargers time to slowly grind out an advantage. Walsh counter-punched in the second half, cutting Hillsdale's lead to six with 11:55 to play, but back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomores Cole Nau and Kyle Goessler put an end to the run.
The Cavaliers made one final push in the closing minutes behind senior Darryl Straughter, who scored 14 of his 21 points in the final eight minutes of the game, but Goessler once again hit a huge 3-pointer with 2:52 to play that stopped an 8-0 Walsh run and gave Hillsdale the breathing room it needed to finish off the victory.
Along with the three in double figures, Hillsdale also got solid nights from senior Austen Yarian, who finished one point shy of a double-double of his own in a nine point, 10 rebound, five assist outing, and senior Connor Hill, who chipped in nine points, four assists and two steals.
While he didn't have a big night offensively, sophomore Tavon Brown once again played a big role in the Charger victory, finishing with two points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
The victory helps Hillsdale (5-1, 5-1 G-MAC) keep pace in the conference standings, a game behind 5-0 Findlay and tied with the one-loss Cavaliers and Ohio Dominican in second place.
The Chargers are back in action again on Sunday with another tricky matchup, hosting a Malone squad who took the Oilers to the wire in a 80-77 loss on Friday night at 2 p.m.
Photo by Camryn Olson