With 12:15 to play in Sunday's home contest against Malone, the 25th-ranked Hillsdale men's basketball team's five starters re-entered what looked like a hopeless situation.
The Chargers trailed by 16 in a contest where they hadn't led since the 18:07 mark in the first quarter, and had spent virtually all of the second half down by double digits.
But over the final 12 minutes of the game, Hillsdale's starters took control, outscoring the Pioneers 39-14 down the stretch to erase the deficit and secure an 80-70 victory.
Sophomore Tavon Brown started the comeback with a 3-pointer on the next Hillsdale possession, and was huge offensively down the stretch, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the final 12 minutes of the game.
Senior point guard Connor Hill, meanwhile, was sensational all night, leading the Chargers with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals. Hill was especially effective defensively down the stretch, forcing numerous turnovers and leading an energetic defense that helped Hillsdale claw its way back into the game.
Davis Larson chipped in 15 points and four assists, and was effective attacking the Pioneer defense off the dribble in the second half, while Charger big men Austen Yarian (17 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Patrick Cartier (12 points, five rebounds) were both huge late, battling through a tough matchup with skilled Malone big man Marcus Ernst.
Hillsdale had notable turnarounds in nearly every category in the second half. The Chargers shot just 45.2 percent from the floor and were 0 for 9 from 3-point range in the first half, but shot 71 percent of the floor after the break and hit 5 of 7 3-pointers down the stretch. Hillsdale also committed nine turnovers in the first half but just two in the second half.
While it was a quiet night overall from Hillsdale's bench, the Chargers did get a notable contribution from sophomore Jack Gohlke, who hit two big 3-pointers in the second half while the starters rested to keep Hillsdale within striking distance for their late push.
The home victory is a big one for the Chargers, who improve to 6-1 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play. It keeps the Chargers right near the top of the conference standings, just behind G-MAC leader Findlay and very much still in the hunt for the title.
Hillsdale will look to continue its winning ways with a Thursday night road trip to an always-tough Cedarville squad next week, followed by a Saturday home contest against Tiffin.
Photo by Camryn Olson