The Hillsdale College men's basketball team saw its 12-game winning streak to start the season come to an end on the road on Saturday.
Host Lake Erie broke a 61-61 tie with a 3-pointer with 22 seconds to play that proved to be the difference in a 67-63 Chargers loss.
Hillsdale had a chance to cut into the deficit but couldn't get a contested shot attempt to fall with nine seconds to go, and never had possession again with a chance to tie or take the lead in the contest as the Storm went 3 of 4 from the line in the closing seconds to hold off the Chargers.
It was a tough end for Hillsdale to a physical, hard-fought game that went back and forth between the two squads, with the lead changing hands repeatedly throughout the contest and neither team leading by more than seven at any point.
Ultimately, outside shooting proved to be the difference. Lake Erie made seven second-half 3-pointers to pull the upset, shooting 42.9 from beyond the arc in the game, while Hillsdale never found its rhythm fron outside, shooting 26.7% from 3-point range with four makes.
Despite a tough shooting performance on the road, the Chargers stayed in the game by getting to the foul line and converting, hitting 15 free throws at an 83.3% clip, and battering the Storm on the boards, outrebounding Lake Erie 36-26 with 10 offensive rebounds and a 14-6 edge in second-chance points.
Although Hillsdale had the edge inside, it wasn't enough to overcome the 3-point shooting disparity, and an uncharacteristic 14 turnovers.
Peter Kalthoff had a big night inside for the Chargers, with 19 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, but battled foul trouble late in the second half. Senior Kyle Goessler chipped in 13 points and six rebounds as well, and Jack Gohlke added nine.
Sophomore Charles Woodhams chipped in seven points and three rebounds off the bench for Hillsdale, and Joe Reuter added six points and five rebounds.
The loss drops Hillsdale to 12-1 overall, 5-1 in G-MAC play. The Chargers are still in first in the G-MAC standings with a half-game lead over Malone and Ashland, who each sit at 4-1. Hillsdale will be back in action at home on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against Tiffin, the first of a four-game homestand to kick off the month of January.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan