Locked in a dogfight on the road with an inspired Malone squad, the 11th-ranked Hillsdale men's basketball team had a slim margin for error down the stretch on Thursday.
Luckily for the Chargers, they didn't miss many opportunities, scoring on seven of their final nine possessions in the contest and going 6 for 6 from the free throw line in the final four minutes to pull out a 75-69 victory.
Leading the way for Hillsdale was senior point guard Connor Hill, who hit a contested baseline jumper with 1:16 to play that put the Chargers up four, then sank two free throws with 24 seconds to go to provide the winning points.
Those moments were part of a huge contest for the senior from Lenexa, Kansas, as Hill finished with a career-high 21 points and added six assists and two steals to lead the Chargers in all three categories. Hill has been a thorn in the Pioneers' side throughout his career, also leading the Chargers with 18 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists in an 80-70 home win over Malone on Jan. 10.
The other big offensive factor late for the Chargers was sophomore Patrick Cartier. Overall, the Charger center had a frustrating night, playing just 24 minutes due to foul trouble and finishing with just 14 points and two rebounds. But despite his struggles, Cartier was huge again when his team needed him most, scoring six of those 14 points in the final four minutes to help Hillsdale win, including the victory-clinching free throws with 12 seconds to play.
Once again, the Chargers won a close game with a team effort that saw all five starters and the team's top bench players all play important roles. Senior forward Austen Yarian chipped in 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, punctuating the win with a transition dunk as time expired. Senior guard Davis Larson chipped in an efficient 12 points and four rebounds, and sophomore forward Tavon Brown grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds to help the Chargers hold their own on the boards with one of the best rebounding teams in the G-MAC.
Key to Hillsdale's victory was the single best team performance at the free-throw line in program history. The Chargers were a perfect 16 of 16 from the charity stripe against the Pioneers, surpassing the previous single game record of 14 for 14 from the line set against Lawrence Tech on Dec. 19, 2015.
Hillsdale's defense was also critical. The Chargers held Malone to just 39.1 percent from the floor and 11 points below their average for the season in the victory.
In stopping a red-hot Pioneer squad's five-game win streak, the Chargers also significantly improved their chances of capturing at least a share of the G-MAC regular season crown. The win means Hillsdale, now 14-1 overall and 14-1 in the league, maintains its two-game edge on second-place Findlay in the standings with just five regular season games remaining.
The Chargers now head into another huge contest at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Walsh. Beating the Cavaliers would likely knock Walsh out of the G-MAC title race entirely -- but it will be far from an easy task on the Cavaliers' home floor, and especially against a team that will be extra motivated and desperate following a 30-point loss at Findlay on Thursday.
Photo by Anthony Lupi