The ninth-ranked Hillsdale College men's basketball team entered Saturday with the Great Midwest Athletic Conference title already clinched.
But the Chargers played like a team that was desperate for a win against visiting Cedarville in its regular season finale, dismantling the visiting Yellow Jackets in a 75-54 victory for the team's 16th straight win.
Hillsdale locked down Cedarville defensively, holding one of the top offenses in the G-MAC to 22 points below their season average. The Yellow Jackets shot just 33.3% from the floor and 24% from deep as Hillsdale refused to concede any open or high-quality shots.
Leading by eight at the half, the Chargers pulled away in the second half, outscoring Cedarville 38-25 to turn a relatively close game into a rout. Sophomore Patrick Cartier led the Chargers with a perfect day from the field, going 5 for 5 on field goals, 2 for 2 on 3-pointers, and 7 for 7 on free throws to finish with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Senior Austen Yarian went 4 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists as well, while sophomore Tavon Brown had one of the best games of his career, finishing with a 15 point, 10 rebound double-double and also chipping in three blocks.
Because it was the Chargers' final regular-season home game, Hillsdale paid tribute to graduating seniors Connor Hill and Davis Larson before the game (Yarian is planning on returning for a fifth year in 2021-22). Hill finished with eight points, four assists and three steals, while Larson made a big impact at the defensive end as well and chipped in five points and seven rebounds.
The Chargers now await their G-MAC tournament matchup. Hillsdale is the top seed in the G-MAC tourney and will be the host of every round as long as they continue to advance. Quarterfinal action begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena, with the tournament field being announced on Sunday night. Stay tuned to hillsdalechargers.com for more updates on who the Chargers' opponent will be on Tuesday, and how to get tickets for the contest.
Photo by Anthony Lupi
